


flowers for oper[A]tors

by yuripiano



Category: NieR: Automata (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff, Guilt, Romance, Slow Build, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-04
Updated: 2017-09-03
Packaged: 2018-10-27 23:41:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10819197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yuripiano/pseuds/yuripiano
Summary: Emotions are prohibited.  This is as much a general rule within YoRHa as it is a personal one upheld by 2B.  A certain bubbly operator makes that very difficult, however.





	1. desert tre[A]sure

“It just… it might be nice to visit the surface sometime, you know? That’s all.”

“I see.”  


“Er, right. Apologies for the unnecessary chatter. Anyway. Operator 6O out!”

Though slightly distorted in quality, 6O’s transmission sounded just as cheery as always. 2B looked up at the sky from the city ruins. There was a light haze mingling with smoke produced by machine lifeforms. Beyond that, there were clouds obscuring her view. But, somewhere past them in the void of space sat the Bunker, and within it, an android with a childish sense of curiosity for a desolate, unforgiving world. Whether it was a trait programmed into all Operator type models or a personality unique to 6O was a mystery 2B didn’t have the will to question. She had learned not to grow too close to other androids. _Emotions are prohibited._ The voice rang in her head. Still, she couldn’t help but hope deep down that 6O would never have to see Earth firsthand. Was it out of protectiveness? Fear? Now was far from the time to uncover those feelings.  


Still…  


It wasn’t every day 6O made statements like that, and 6O had only ever been helpful to 2B (and by extension, 9S). What had 2B done in return? Giving it a second’s thought, she realized that really, she hadn’t done too much to repay the favor. Surely helping 6O out wouldn’t inhibit her ability to carry out her original goal.  


_Indirectly fulfilling Operator 6O’s wish may increase her willingness to assist in further missions and bring a feeling of ease to 9S. That may in turn keep 9S out of trouble and improve the effectiveness of our unit and therefore benefit YoRHa as a whole._  


It was selfish, faulty logic on all accounts. The thought of hearing 6O’s elated voice was enough to convince 2B otherwise, though. _Emotions are prohibited,_ ran through her head again, but she shook it off.  


“Pod.”  


“Understood.”  


“I didn’t say anything yet.”  


“The conversation between Operator 6O and unit 2B has been analyzed. Hypothesis: Unit 2B wishes to send Operator 6O a gift from the surface so that she might be able to experience it in some fashion.”  


2B twitched in a mixture of annoyance at her pod for cutting her off and at herself for being so easily read. “… That’s right.”  


“Proposal: The gift should be a photograph of a rare flower.”  


“You think?”  


“Analysis of historical data indicates that human females enjoyed viewing the reproductive organs of flowering plants. If unit 2B can procure appropriate image data, it could be uploaded to the Bunker. Proposal: Unit 2B should obtain an image of the plant known as the ‘desert rose’.”  


“All right.”  


2B had seen a myriad of plants and animals during her time down on Earth. She was initially surprised by the birds overhead, whiter than the sterile walls of the bunker. Fish had provided another moment of surprise. Sure, she knew about them from records of the Old World, but seeing them firsthand had filled her with a sense of wonderment. 2B was certain that she would have been chastised by the Commander had she expressed her fascination out loud. A loud snort from behind shifted her focus to a wild boar pacing and sniffing at the ground. It lifted its head up at her, and she gave it a curt nod as it returned to its actions. She had grown to respect them after being pursued relentlessly by one upon first landing on Earth, and she secretly treated them as a larger threat than most of the Bipeds and other machines in the area.  


2B inhaled deeply, letting the natural air flow through her system. Now that she had been down on Earth, she couldn’t imagine how it must feel to have only gazed upon Earth from the greyscale prison of the Bunker. She cast her eyes around, allowing herself to drink in the colors of her surroundings – the rich greens of grass softer than her sheets in the Bunker, the deep browns of tree limbs larger than Goliath class machine lifeforms… 

Though she wasn’t keen on a non-combat unit such as 6O coming down to Earth, 2B was resolved to at least share a bit of its beauty with her.  


\----------  


One thing she wouldn’t relay to 6O, though, was what a pain walking through the desert was. If the machines were public enemy number one, sand had to be number two.  


“Say, 2B,” started 9S.  


“What is it?”  


“I was just thinking… it must get lonely up in the Bunker.”  


“What are you saying?” 2B responded coldly. She flinched a bit – she hadn’t meant for her words to carry that much of an edge.  


“I’m just saying… you know, it’s… nice. Doing this for Operator 6O I mean. I’m sure she’ll appreciate it,” 9S continued. His voice had a happy tone to it, despite how exhausted he must have felt having climbed up what was surely at least the fifteenth sand dune of their trip.  


2B grew the slightest bit flustered at his statement. “Operator 6O’s mental health is critical to our mission. Obtaining image data of this flower will surely improve her emotional state. Thus, it is our duty to fulfill this small task for her. Nothing more, nothing less. Pod,” she continued quickly before 9S could add anything else, “recheck the coordinates of the desert rose in question and display information on the map.”  


“Data verification complete. Marking location on map.”  


_Great, not much further,_ 2B thought to herself. The sun was growing unbearably hot and impairing her logic functions. That must have been why she snapped at 9S. That must have been why she had dared to let herself feel the slightest bit of happiness at the idea of 6O appreciating the data upload as 9S had suggested she might.  


\----------  


The location was, thankfully, lightly shaded by a large rock. She leaned against it and allowed herself a short break. 9S joined her wordlessly.  
They stood together for a few minutes until he finally spoke up.  


“This desert… it’s strangely beautiful, don’t you think?”  


Sand billowed around them, and her gaze returned to the desert rose beneath the large rock. It seemed so fragile. Its pink petals looked as though they would break beneath her touch, and the stem was thin and delicate. _Surviving in this unforgiving environment must be harsh,_ 2B thought to herself. What did a flower such as itself stand to gain from growing in such an inhospitable environment? To continue struggling against all odds, just for a mere chance within a chance of growing to maturity... Maybe at one point, there used to be fields of flowers just like it. Maybe this flower harbored a tiny seed of hope – hope that one day it could bring back life to the endless sea of sand it had found a home in. It was tragic and admirable, foolish and… beautiful.  


2B had never related to something so much before.  


“Yeah…” she whispered softly, uncharacteristically. 9S glanced over at her, pleasantly surprised that she had agreed with him, but as suddenly as her shift in tone had come, it blew away with the scorching desert wind. She cleared her throat and pushed herself off the rock she had been bracing herself against.  


“Pod, take a photograph of the desert rose and send it to Operator 6O.”  


“Affirmative.”  


As she waited for her pod to send the data, she glanced back up at the sky. There were no clouds here to obscure her vision this time, and 2B wondered if perhaps 6O would prefer the view of the brilliant blue sky and golden sprawling hills to the ruins of the city, despite the sand and heat.  


“Image data transfer complete.”  


Moments later, 2B heard the telltale beeping of an incoming transmission.  


“2B, this is Operator 6O! Pick up!”  


2B couldn’t remember if she had ever heard 6O’s voice literally tremble with excitement before. It made her own circuitry race in a way she had to try her best to suppress. _Emotions are prohibited, emotions are prohibited, emotions are prohibited._  


“2B here. Go ahead.”  


“Thank you _so_ much for the picture! So this is a desert rose, huh? It seems almost… mystical. There must just be a bounty of nature down there, huh?”  


2B couldn’t help but smile, thankful that 9S and her pod were behind her so they couldn’t see. She tried to maintain a neutral tone but couldn’t help the softening of her voice as she replied.  


“Some, yes. I’ve seen lilies, cherry blossoms, daffodils, and even lunar tears. I’ll try to send more if I can.”  


“Oh, 2B… I’m going to treasure this forever! Oh, and I’m going to send you a proper thank-you mail later, so keep an eye out for it. Bye!”  


2B’s core ached at 6O’s voice. She could imagine the wide smile beneath her mask, the way she would clench her fists when she got excited, the way her eyes sparkled in admiration…  


Perhaps, just once, 2B would chance bringing her to Earth just to see that face light up in person.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, thanks for reading! 
> 
> I know 2B/9S is the go-to pairing for this game, but let's give it up for everyone's favorite operator! Operator 6O is too pure for this world...
> 
> I can't believe how much of an incredible emotional impact this game had on me. I was a huge fan of the original NieR game, but this one was just... wow, you know? I have to go back and play through the game again now that I unlocked all of the (main) endings!  
> All the way from the beginning!  
>  ~~Partly because I deleted all of my save data...~~
> 
> Anyway, so, this is my second ever fanfic, and I'm hoping to make it into my first ever multi-chapter fanfic!  
> Okay, now that I've said it, I've officially committed myself to it! I hope you like fluffy android yuri, because y'all're in for some fluffy android yuri.
> 
> Thanks again for reading~


	2. got your [B]ack

_tell me god, are you punishing me?_

_is this the price i’m paying for my past mistakes?_

_it always ends like this_

_are you saying you need me, 2b?_

_perhaps we’re not so different after all_

_if you want to call me nines, it’s totally okay_

_this cannot continue, this cannot continue, this cannot continue_

_i’m going to treasure this forever!_

 

2B awoke suddenly, her mind spinning.  Bolting upright, she whipped her head left and right, surveying her surroundings, ready to eliminate any threat that may have been in the area. 

“Oh, 2B, you’re alright!” cried out a voice from behind her.  Looking back and seeing 6O’s face instead of a machine lifeform’s made the initial panic quickly fade from 2B’s eyes. 

“Ah, Operator 6O.  It’s… good to see you.” 

“I was so worried about you!”

“That’s unnecessary.  As long as my black box is intact, there is no need to worry about my wellbeing,” 2B responded automatically.  She began to stand up but found her legs shaking, and she stumbled forward toward the door.

“2B!  You have to sit down!  We haven’t finished fully restoring your motor functions!”  A worried 6O gently pushed 2B back into a sitting position on the bed.

“I need to see 9S.  Is he alright?  Does he...” she swallowed thickly, “does he remember?”

“His memory data was uploaded to the Bunker, so all of his memories should be preserved.  Is something wrong, 2B?” 

“… It’s nothing.”

The pain in her chest told her otherwise, though.  It was like this every time 2B was restored in the Bunker.  Memories rushed back into her body in a haphazard order.  They were insignificant memories, once forgotten memories, important memories, painful memories, happy memories, guilty memories...

They never stopped being devastating.  She wasn’t sure which were the worst, though. 

The memory of 6O’s excited voice ran through her head again.

_Oh, 2B… I’m going to treasure this forever!_

She clenched her fist.

The happy ones.  The happy ones were the most painful, she decided.

2B reached for her visor.

“Say, 2B…” began 6O slowly. 

“Yes?”

“Now is around the time we would have our regularly-scheduled contact, but since we’re together now, I have a little bit of free time, I suppose, and so I was just, you know, thinking that, I don’t know, maybe – ”

“What is it, 6O?” 2B cut her off.  Her voice felt cold even to herself, and she winced as she saw 6O recoil slightly at her curtness.

“Y-Yes, that is, while we wait for you to regain full control of your body and for 9S to be fully repaired… I was wondering if maybe you could tell me more about the things you’ve seen during your missions on Earth?” 6O’s voice rose at the end of her statement to form a timid, hopeful question.

There were so many things she had seen that 2B didn’t even know where to start with answering that question.  Ever since she sent that first picture to 6O, she had begun to subconsciously sort things she saw into Things Operator 6O Would Enjoy and Things Operator 6O Would Not Enjoy. 

Bushes with dainty purple flowers kissed by sunlight. 

Rivers with water clearer than the Bunker’s glass windows.

Moose coexisting peacefully with docile machine lifeforms.

These were all things 2B categorized as Things Operator 6O Would Enjoy. 

She had made a mental note to upload images such as these to 6O on a regular basis.  ( _After all, maintaining a database with a variety of image data is crucial to future mission success,_ 2B told herself.)

_“Oh wow, 2B! These photos are incredible! You’re the best! And, as always, I’ll send you a proper thank-you mail and a gift later!”_

Not everything fell into the category of Things Operator 6O Would Enjoy, however.

_“9S, hold it up to the light.”_

_“No way 2B! You’re insane, there’s no way – “_

_“9S, it is imperative that you hold this up in order for the pod to take a high-resolution photograph.”_

_“Why can’t you hold it then? This is… eugh!”_

_“Just do it, 9S.”_

_“No!”_

_“Nines…”_

_“… That’s not fair, and you know it!  Geeze, I can’t believe I’m doing this…”_

_Moments later, an incoming transmission beep and a high-pitched wailing reached 2B’s ear._

That was when 2B decided that large spiders were to be categorized as Things Operator 6O Would Not Enjoy.

6O’s reactions, both good and bad, always made 2B a bit happier.  Her feelings and the memories they created… they were personal, special, irreplaceable.  She decided that those were happy memories, and she treasured them above most other things.

 _You’re growing too close to Operator 6O,_ she could hear herself saying.  _Emotions are prohibited._   She knew that was best, she knew _why_ that was best… and yet she couldn’t stop herself from wanting to share more and more of her adventures with 6O.  

2B looked at 6O’s expectant face.  The operator’s mask was obscuring her facial expression, but 2B could just as easily read a wealth of emotion from her eyes.  They were eyes full of wonder and hope.  They were the eyes of someone far more innocent and pure than her.  They were eyes she had seen many times before… the eyes of someone that she could never protect. 

2B’s resolve strengthened. 

No, she wouldn’t make this mistake again.

 “Earth is overrun by machine lifeforms,” she started.  “I’ve cut down so many that I can’t keep track anymore.  I’ve seen dead YoRHa units and struggling Resistance members.  It’s a bitter fight.”  2B could see the warmth behind 6O’s eyes fade away.  “That is what remains on Earth.” 

It wasn’t what 6O had wanted to hear.  2B knew that she had wanted to hear more about the Things Operator 6O Would Enjoy.  She could have told 6O about the giant eggs in the forest, the children in Pascal’s village, or any of the other things that 2B was certain 6O would like.  But…

“Is that so, 2B?” 6O spoke softly and turned her head away.  Her voice lacked its usual brightness.  “I’m sure it’s rough down there… but, doesn’t that make it all the more alluring?”

This wasn’t what 2B was expecting.  Sure, she had expected the disappointment, but she had also hoped that 6O would change her mind about Earth.  She had hoped that maybe this would distance herself at least a little bit more from 6O, that –

“I mean… there are so many wonderful things you’ve shown me as well,” 6O continued, the original warm timbre returning to her voice.  “I actually made a folder in my personal server space just to hold all of the image data you’ve sent me!  Although, after that mail about some units wasting too much space, I made sure to rename the location to Super Important YoRHa Information to avoid suspicion!”  6O giggled for a moment and then looked back at 2B.  Her eyes had originally been full of concern, then trepidation, and now, they had taken on a soft, gentle quality.  “What I’m saying is… I want to see the world 2B sees, yeah?  The beauty, the pain… even those… those gross spiders, to some small, tiny, miniscule extent… because they all combine together to make Earth what it is!”  2B could tell from the way her mask rose at the corners that she was smiling. 

_No no no, this isn’t…_

“So, I’d love for you to continue sending me pictures!  I’ll keep sending you rewards, of course, but, r-really, I… was hoping that, maybe, if there was a lull in the fighting, or just, sometime, if you found a safe place, maybe, together, we could, um… go down to Earth?” 6O stuttered again.  2B didn’t know if she had ever heard 6O trip over her own words so many times in one conversation.  “I-I know, flight units are very expensive, but, I’m sure this would improve mission effectiveness as well!  If I experience it firsthand, then, I’ll be able to give you clearer instructions, and - ”

“Absolutely not.  Your request is out of the question,” 2B interrupted.  _Why, why, why?_ An earlier 2B would have happily taken her down to Earth, would have shown her her favorite places, would have _cared_ …

But what good had caring for those she loved done her up until this point?

  _Love?  No, Operator 6O is simply in charge of scheduled contacts and mission intel, this isn’t…_

“2B, I know Earth isn’t as perfect as I sometimes think it is, but –”

“I said no, 6O!” 2B raised her voice.  _Emotions are prohibited,_ rang somewhere in the back of her mind, but it was hard to keep herself in check.  “Do you know how much fighting there is down there?  It’s hard enough keeping track of myself and 9S, let alone a noncombat unit such as yourself!”  _And I apparently can’t even do a good enough job of that…_  “I agreed to send you those pictures because I thought that it would keep you satisfied, but now, you, you… you’re willing to compromise the mission for the sake of some fantasy you have about Earth?  I suppose this is my fault for agreeing to send you those pictures in the first place, isn’t it?”  

“2B, I –”

“All model-B combat units require the assistance of an operator.  You handle mission control from the Bunker, I go down to Earth.  You have your role, I have mine!”  she was yelling now.  _I can’t risk losing you._

_Emotions are prohibited emotions are prohibited emotions are –_

“All you ever care about is the mission!” 6O shouted back, standing up quickly.  “9S isn’t a combat android, and he can manage himself just fine!  What makes you think I don’t know how to defend myself anyway?!”  6O’s voice started to quaver, and she felt her anger dissolve into dejection instead.  “I just, I don’t think I can stand spending one more day in this Bunker…”

2B remained quiet in response to 6O’s outburst.

 “You say we both have our own roles, our own duties… we go through the same motions every day, but… don’t you ever think about something more?” 6O continued in a quiet voice.  “For me, it’s Earth, but for you… I mean, I know you don’t only think about yourself… if you did, you wouldn’t have sent me all of those pictures in the first place, but…” she trailed off, unsure of where she was going with her statement. 

2B bit her lip as an uncomfortable silence settled in. 

_“If you want to call me Nines, it’s totally okay.”_

_It always ends like this._

_“The Commander’s put me in charge of your maintenance, ma’am.”_

_It always ends like this._

_“I’m going to treasure this forever!”_

_It always ends like this._

Of course there was more to 2B than just the mission.  God knows how many times she had wished there wasn’t, though.  2B could feel the pain and fear starting to creep its way back in.  If she only thought about the mission, there wasn’t any room to be overwhelmed with these… burdensome feelings.  They were ever present in the back of her mind though.  Feelings of anger and worry, protectiveness and happiness, all threatening to spill past her emotionless façade. 

“Please, 2B…”

9S’s smiling face. 

_“Thanks 2B, you really saved me back there!  I’m… really glad to be working with you from now.”_

Pascal’s robotic yet soothing voice. 

_“2B, thank you so much!  I hope we can all live together in peace…”_

Even Jackass’s deranged, lopsided grin in response to a successful experiment. 

_“For the glory of science!”_

_“You mean mankind, right?”_

_“That too!”_

They were happy, they were precious, they were _fragile…_ 2B knew that she couldn’t keep running from these feelings forever, though.  She took a deep breath and turned away from 6O before speaking.

“… One time.  That’s it.  You stay by me, and you don’t go _anywhere_ without my permission, is that understood?”

“Oh really, you mean it 2B?” 6O’s voice flooded with elation, erasing any evidence of her earlier sadness.

“At the first sign of trouble, we’re going back up to the Bunker.  No exceptions!” 2B could feel her face flushing.  What was she agreeing to?

_You said you wouldn’t get any closer to 6O!  You just can’t ignore your emotions, can you?  This is going to be 9S all over again – you realize that, right?  For an android, you really are –_

“Oh, thank you _so_ much 2B!” 6O sat down on the bed to fling her arms around 2B.  2B let out a small yelp of surprise.  She couldn’t remember the last time she had ever been hugged by another unit.

“O-oh, ahaha, sorry 2B, I just, I got really excited, and, oh gosh, do you know when?  Or, or where?  Oh 2B, there’s so much I want to see and do, and –”

“I haven’t worked out all of the details yet, of course,” 2B continued, trying to reel her spinning emotions back into a neutral state. 

_This is a bad idea, this is such a bad idea…_

“I… I’ll let you know as soon as I’ve found an acceptable time and location.”  Another glance at 6O confirmed that the operator was on the verge of trembling with excitement.  Bad idea or not, 2B couldn’t help but make a note to file away the sight into her happy memories section. 

“Pod,” 2B spoke quickly in an attempt to change the topic, “what’s the status of my motor functions?”

“Motor functions are fully operational.  Proposal: YoRHa unit 2B should check the status of YoRHa unit 9S.”

“Good,” she replied and stood up.  As she walked toward the door, 6O called out to her.

“2B, thank you again so much!  I know I gave you a hard time, but I just wanted to say again, you’re the best!”

“D-don’t mention it…” 2B mumbled as she exited the room. 

Her mind was a whirling mess of thoughts and emotions.  What was she doing?  Risking 6O’s safety?  Risking becoming even more emotionally attached to her?  Despite her feelings telling her that taking 6O to Earth was a bad idea, 2B couldn’t get the image of 6O’s smiling face out of her mind. 

“Abnormal rise in temperature detected in YoRHa unit 2B’s facial regions,” her pod cut off her thinking.  “Hypothesis: YoRHa unit 2B -”

“Pod.”

“Yes?”

“… Shut up.”

“Understood.”   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! Gonna go edit the tags to reflect this chapter. 
> 
> I highly appreciate your comments/feedback, although please don't feel obligated to leave any ^^
> 
> I'm looking forward to chapter 3, in which 2B takes her totally-not-space-girlfriend down to Earth. I hope you are too!


	3. colors of mono[C]hrome

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I want to say a huuuuuge “I’m sorry!” for taking so long with this chapter! I had some IRL things going on and yeah…  
> So, a few people asked me what the context was for the previous chapter, and in hindsight, I definitely should have written something alluding to what had happened leading up to that scene. It wasn’t after a particular death or a particular point in the game – just after a generic death ^^  
> I’ll make sure from now on to be a bit clearer about things like that!  
> Also, because of work, updates will probably be once a week at most… I apologize in advance for this! I’ll try not to take this long again, though.  
> Thanks for understanding ^^

“We have to walk back through the desert _again_?” 9S groaned as he and 2B exited the Resistance Camp.  “I thought the Commander was a slave driver, but Anemone, she’s something else…”

After fully recovering in the Bunker, the two of them had returned to Earth to continue aiding the Resistance while awaiting further instructions from Command.  It was a routine the two of them readily fell into, although the constant traveling quickly became fatiguing.    

“Pascal’s help is invaluable to the Resistance.  If finding these parts and delivering them to him will aid Anemone and the others, then we should do our best to see this mission through,” 2B replied flatly.  It was a conversation they had had many times. 

9S sighed as he trudged forward.  “Yeah, yeah, I know… I sure wish this map data weren’t so spotty, though.”  As he tapped the hologram projection of a map in front of him, words such as “ERROR” and “NO SIGNAL DETECTED” continuously popped up. 

“We should be thankful we have any map data at all,” 2B answered with a sigh of her own.  Despite her statement, seeing the large red area marked on her map annoyed her as well.  The idea of hiking up and down slippery sand dunes in such a large radius while searching for salvageable parts was not exactly an appealing one.  “Can’t you do something about it if it bothers you so much?” she continued. 

“Hah, if only!” 9S stopped to take a small bit of his frustration out on a stray rock, kicking it into the side of a long-abandoned building.  “Even though I’m a scanner model, we don’t really know the ins and outs of how the data transferring works or how to optimize it…” he trailed off as he jogged to catch up with 2B. 

“Is that so?” 2B called out over her shoulder.  

“Yeah, I mean, we scanner types?  We’re mainly in charge of data collection and analysis.  Transmission maintenance?  That’s Command’s job,” 9S stuck his hands in his pockets as he fell back in line alongside 2B. 

“Command, huh… you mean, the operators are in charge of that?”  2B asked in surprise.  She hadn’t paid too much attention to the roles of other noncombat units after deeming such knowledge irrelevant to her mission. 

9S perked up a bit at 2B’s follow-up question.  “Huh?  Oh, yeah, that’s all the operators’ job… I mean, I guess it makes sense since their whole job revolves around supplying us field units with information from the Bunker, right?”  9S stretched his arms above his head as he spoke.  “It’d sure be nice if 21O could come help us out, but she’s always so busy, and Command isn’t too keen on sending operators down to assist on the ground… I guess it can’t be helped, huh 2B?”

_Sending an operator down to Earth…_

2B absently curled and uncurled her fingers as she weighed the pros and cons of informing 6O of the current situation.  Sure, it was possibly the best reason she would get to take 6O down to Earth, but the area was still overrun with machine lifeforms.  There were so many ways the operator’s trip to Earth could end in disaster.

The faint crunch of boots on gravel filled the silence as they walked.      

“So,” she finally spoke, “if an operator were to come and try to improve the map data, they’d be in our care for as long as it takes, correct?”

9S scratched his head as he thought.  “Mm, since they’d need to go tinker around with the access points and whatnot in person, I’d say so, yeah.  I mean, Command normally lets us scanner models go out on our own, but we’re pretty skilled at hacking and always have assistance from an operator.  I guess it’d be too dangerous to have an operator running around on their own, especially when we’re the ones who asked for assistance in the first place, you know?”  9S turned to look at 2B, surprised that she had showed so much interest in the topic. “Say, 2B, you really want to fix up our map data too, don’t you?” 

A sideways glance confirmed 2B’s suspicion that 9S was flashing her an innocent grin.

“If it will improve mission efficiency… I suppose it would be a good idea to look into it,” she finished her statement slowly. 

“Yeah, I guess so…”

A small beeping interrupted their conversation.                                                          

“Report: Mail notification received from access point,” 2B’s pod chimed. 

“Huh, I think it’s from Anemone… I guess we should check it out at the desert camp,” 9S shrugged. 

2B nodded wordlessly, and the two continued their walk in silence. 

\----------

Late afternoon light filtering through the forest canopy created a mottled ochre blanket beneath the two androids’ feet.  The cool air and earthy aroma of the surrounding area was a welcome reprieve from the dry, unforgiving heat of the desert.  Even the faint chatter of birds and the trickling of a nearby brook added to the picturesque scene around them.

“Well, that was easily one of the least enjoyable tasks I’ve ever had the misfortune of completing,” 9S’s bitter tone abruptly soured the otherwise peaceful scene.  It had taken the better part of three hours of fervent searching to find the parts in question, and both he and 2B were exhausted by the time they had reached the outskirts of Pascal’s machine village. 

“We’re almost finished,” 2B gritted her teeth as she spoke.  It was as much a statement of reassurance to 9S as it was to herself.  She could feel sand rubbing stubbornly against her skin in places she didn’t even know sand could get stuck. 

To her relief, it wasn’t much further before she could see a hovering robot waving a white flag in the distance.  The cheerful sound of mechanical singing greeted their ears as they finally made their way into the village. 

9S let out another long sigh. 

“I can’t believe I’m actually _happy_ to see Jean Paul…” he muttered as they worked their way toward Pascal.

2B relaxed her gait as she finally saw the village leader talking to a group of children. 

One of the children pointed toward her and 9S, causing Pascal to notice them.

“Ah, 2B!  Thank goodness you’re here!  Finding the parts wasn’t too difficult, was it?” he spoke cheerfully. 

2B saw 9S open his mouth, presumably to let Pascal know just how much the two of them had gone through, when he was suddenly surrounded by the Stubby children. 

 “Hey mister!  Hey!  HEY!” they screamed as they crowded around 9S’s legs. 

“Play with us!”

“Yeah, play with us, mister!”

“Hey mister, why is grass green?”

“We want a slide!  Make us a slide!”

2B saw 9S look to her with a weary expression on his face.

“Uh, 2B?  Little help here?”

“Huh?  You’re the chatty one.  Work it out,” she responded before leaving him to deal with his newfound problem while she spoke to Pascal.

“2B?  2B!” he called after her before being all but dragged away to play with the excited machines. 

2B turned away from the sight when she heard Pascal laughing behind her. 

“They’re so energetic, aren’t they?” Pascal shook his head.  “My children… they’re so precious to me.”

“You take care of them very well,” 2B nodded.  _Like family…_

“2B… do you have anyone precious to you?” Pascal tilted his head curiously.

“Such feelings are unnecessary for androids,” she began before pausing and shutting her eyes from behind her visor.  “I do… have some that I care about, however.”

“I’m so glad to hear that!  Anyway, here, this – “

The telltale beeping of an incoming transmission cut Pascal off.

2B couldn’t suppress a small smile as she held up a finger to Pascal and accepted the call.

“Operator 6O to 2B!  Time for your regularly-scheduled contact!” the cheery voice rang out.

“2B here.” 

_Now’s your chance._

2B swallowed, an unfamiliar feeling of nervousness bubbling inside of her.

_What if I can’t protect her?_

_What if she gets her hopes up for nothing?_

_What if…_

Her sudden onset of worrying made her barely register that 6O was still talking to her.

“Huh?  No, nothing to report…” she replied absentmindedly.

“Oh… Okay, well, in that case, I’m closing this channel!” 6O chirped. 

“Wait!” 2B continued quickly.  “Actually… there is one thing…”

“What is it, 2B?”

“9S was complaining about the map data.  He mentioned some of the access points needed some hands-on work and that it was a job most suited for operators.  So, I was wondering…”

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying, 2B?!” 6O shouted excitedly over the transmission.  Though she couldn’t see it, 2B was certain that 6O was clenching her fists and bouncing up and down in her seat, most likely earning her strange glances from the other operators.   

2B could feel her pulse rate rise at 6O’s enthusiasm. 

“Yes, we need an operator on the ground to help.  It would be… beneficial if you could come and assist us.” 

“You’re really willing to take me down to Earth?  After all this time?!”

“Improving map data will in turn improve mission efficiency,” 2B added hurriedly. 

6O giggled in response.  “Sure, sure, whatever you say, 2B!  We can talk to the Commander when you come back, okay?” 

“That sounds good.”

“Awesome!  Oh gosh, I can’t wait to see all the trees and the clouds and the animals and the –”

“I’m closing this channel now,” 2B interrupted 6O’s rambling.

“Oh!  Right, sorry!” 6O laughed again.  “I’ll see you later!  Operator 6O, out!”

2B turned off the transmission and took a deep breath to calm herself. 

_Emotions are prohibited._

“Sorry, Pascal, you were saying?” she turned back to the robot.

“Oh, it’s fine!  I was just going to give you this as a reward,” he handed 2B an array of miscellaneous parts.  “Was that one of the ones you consider precious?” Pascal questioned as 2B stowed the materials away. 

“Yes…” she glanced over toward where 9S was attempting to lift one of the Stubby children up onto a makeshift swing.  “Both 9S and 6O are very important to me.”  She turned back to face Pascal and nodded at him.  “Thanks for the parts.”

“It’s no problem!  Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help you!  I may avoid fighting, but I have a wealth of knowledge!” Pascal gestured to a pile of books visible through a window on his door.

2B felt her face heat up again as she spoke.  “In that case… I did have one question, actually…”

\----------

The faint clacking of operators typing on keyboards created muffled background noise, and the air in the Bunker was stuffy and woefully artificial.  Even the fluorescent lighting did nothing but wash the entire room in a bland myriad of greys.  Recalling the rich tones on Earth, 2B could easily understand why 6O couldn’t stand being cooped up in space. 

Perhaps now was her chance.

2B stood in front of 6O and 9S as she proposed her idea to the Commander. 

Worry built inside her as she watched the Commander’s face, looking for any sign of emotion behind her stern countenance.  She had explained her plan to escort 6O down to Earth in a spare flight unit and the various benefits this mission would bring.  She didn’t tell the Commander her main motive behind bringing her operator to the surface, however.

_Can she see through me?_

_Emotions are prohibited, emotions are prohibited, emotions are prohibited…_

Finally, the Commander let out a sigh and looked at the three androids with weary eyes. 

“2B, 9S, both of you have done an excellent job and have paved the way for mankind to reclaim Earth from the machine lifeforms.  I am still dubious as to the effectiveness of this mission, but I trust your judgement.” 

2B relaxed and released a pent up sigh of her own.  She quickly straightened up again as the Commander nodded at her. 

“2B.  Take care of 6O.  We can’t afford to lose any of our operators.”

“Understood,” she raised her left hand to her chest. 

 “I’ll leave weapons and chip preparations to you, then.  A flight unit will be prepared for you to use tomorrow morning.”  The Commander mimicked 2B’s salute.  “Glory to mankind!”

“Glory to mankind!” the three of them repeated after the Commander.

_Glory to mankind…_

2B kept her fist clenched at her side as she turned and began to walk back to her room. 

This mission wasn’t for the glory of mankind.  2B glanced to her left, watching 6O all but skip to 2B’s room with her to get geared up for departure the next day. 

_This is…_

She mulled about in her thoughts as she walked between 6O and 9S.

“I’ll be in my room if you need anything,” 9S tapped 2B on the shoulder as they reached his room. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow, then,” 2B considered giving him a small wave but settled for a nod of her head instead.

“2B, hurry up!” 6O called out to 2B from in front of her door, having sprinted ahead in eagerness. 

“Pod,” 2B called out as she made her way over to her room.  “Create an optimized defensive chip layout for Operator 6O.”

“Understood.”

\----------

“2B, I know I’m not the best at fighting, but surely this is a bit much!”

“You can never be too cautious,” 2B called back as she climbed into her flight unit alongside 9S and 6O.

“Yeah, but, this many recoveries is enough for a whole squadron!  And really, defensive chips of this level?  I’m fixing a couple of vending machine lookalikes, not going toe to toe with a Goliath!” 6O groaned. 

2B looked at 6O with a soft expression.  She knew it was probably more than enough to keep 6O safe, but she didn’t want to take any chances.

“I only have one operator.  And besides, you being hurt would be bad for me.  It would affect mission efficiency.”  She turned away as she started up her flight unit’s ignition.  “I can’t let anything happen to you…” she added quietly. 

6O looked at her with bright, hopeful eyes.  “Aw… are you saying you need me, 2B?” 

2B didn’t know if she had ever felt her face brighten as quickly as it did in that moment. 

“I-It’s time to go,” she called out to 6O and 9S, launching off without waiting for them.

“Wait, 2B, hold on!” 9S called after her as he started his flight unit’s engines.

“2B!  Don’t leave without me!  I-I don’t even really know how to fly this thing!” 6O wailed as she flipped a series of switches in the hopes that the built in autopilot function would do most of the work for her.    

\----------

“You can relax, 6O,” 9S called out to the terrified operator.  “Just let the autopilot do its thing!”

2B checked her display from the flight unit and could see that 6O still had her eyes tightly squeezed shut.

“Stay by me and you’ll be fine,” 2B echoed 9S’s sentiment as she weaved her way around dilapidated skyscrapers.  “After we clear this area, it’s just a bit further to the Resistance Camp.”

“O-Okay…” 6O whined in response. 

2B watched 6O clinging to the handles of her flight suit for dear life.  The way she drew her eyebrows together, the quavering in her voice, her squeaks when she would veer around buildings… it was strange, but 2B couldn’t look away. 

_She’s so… cute…_

2B swallowed a lump in her throat and turned off the display as she felt her mind wandering far more than she was comfortable allowing it to.   

The remainder of their flight passed by in silence, allowing 2B the time to think back about her plan.  6O would only be on Earth for a few days, and 2B was determined to help the operator make the most of it. 

Before long, the Resistance Camp came into view and they slowed for descent.

“And touchdown!  The Eagle has landed!” 9S exclaimed before hopping out of his flight suit.  A small cloud of dust rose as his boots hit the ground.  “Welcome to the Resistance Camp!” he extended a hand to help 6O out. 

“The Eagle?” 2B shot him a curious glance as she stepped out to stretch her legs. 

“Yeah… it’s just something from some Old World records I found,” 9S chuckled sheepishly.  “Upsy-daisy!” he lifted 6O out into the light. 

6O stumbled as 9S pulled her onto the dirt. 

“Careful there, 6O,” 2B caught her arm.  “It can take a bit of time to get used to the gravity here.  It’s a bit different from the Bunker.” 

“Y-yeah…” 6O replied absently as her eyes darted left and right, trying to take in as much of the scene around her as possible.  “This is all so… so amazing… is this real?” she spoke softly, reaching down to brush her fingers against the sun-kissed earth. 

2B surveyed the area.  A few drab tents, a small plot of flowers that had seen better days… there wasn’t too much of interest around them.  Still, she eyed 6O entranced by the entirety of it. 

6O rested on her knees and tenderly stroked the petals of a trampled flower.  “It’s even more beautiful than I thought it would be…”

2B smiled to herself as she thought about how 6O would react once they left the camp if she was this taken by the pitiful flower.

“You haven’t seen anything yet,” she spoke softly, pulling 6O to her feet.  “Come on, we have to talk to Anemone.”

“Right!” 

\----------

Anemone had taken the time to show the trio around the camp.  It was a show of goodwill, but 2B and 9S were well acquainted with the camp, and 2B found the tour a waste of time. 

_There’s so much to do…  I don’t have time for this…_

Still, seeing the operator giddy with joy at seeing something that wasn’t the bland confines of the Bunker made it worth it. 

“Well, are you ready to go check out the first access point?” 9S called out to 6O as he made his way toward the exit.  “2B and I will lead the way and then stay on lookout, so you just do your thing when we get there, ok?” 

“Ready as ever!” she exclaimed.  2B could tell by the way her mask rose at the corners that 6O was smiling.  Her stomach churned as they neared the outskirts of the camp.  She wasn’t sure why she was so nervous.  After all, 6O had clearly enjoyed the sights she had seen so far, and that was just the lackluster camp.

She couldn’t help but want to make it perfect for 6O – to make it perfect for her operator.

_My operator…_

2B closed her eyes and focused on opening and closing her hand, trying to lose her thoughts in the movement of her fingers. 

A few long moments passed as the trio made their way into the city ruins.

“It’s just a bit over this way.  There are usually a few enemies in this general area,” 9S made a vague waving motion in front of himself, “so we’ll take this route over here.”

“Keep by me,” 2B told 6O as she followed 9S. 

No reply. 

2B turned toward her operator and saw her rooted to the spot. 

The whispers of wind through the grass seemed deafening as 2B watched 6O stand motionless in the sunlight. 

She saw 6O quickly wipe her eyes and sniffle behind her mask.

“6O?  Is everything alright?” she felt her earlier worry resurface in full force.

“2B… I… yes…” she whispered, voice trembling as she began to slowly walk toward 2B.

“Stay by my side, okay, 6O?” 2B sought her confirmation once more.

“Oh 2B…” she sniffled again.  “There’s nowhere I’d rather be.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! The gang's finally on Earth!  
> I know I know, there wasn't too much yuri action going on here, BUT! Chapter 4 man...  
> just...  
> chapter 4.  
> It'll be full of cute, so I hope you stay tuned ^^
> 
> Anyway, as always, all comments are highly appreciated!


	4. beyon[D] protocol

“Test data transfer complete.  Analysis: signal strengthened by 104% with a 72% increase in transfer speed.”

“Wow, over twice the strength we had before!  You’re amazing, 6O!” 9S patted the operator on the back.

“Phew!” 6O stretched her arms above her head.  “Those old parts really didn’t want to budge, huh?  I’m exhausted!” she laughed and wiped away a bead of sweat, smudging her cheek with machine oil in the process. 

“Good job, 6O,” 2B nodded at her.  “It’s getting late, though.  We should head back to the Resistance Camp for the night.”

6O sighed and looked at the ground.  “Yeah… you’re right, 2B.  Let’s get going,” she stood up, brushing dirt and stray blades of grass off her knees. 

It was obvious that she was feeling glum.  The Commander had only allowed 6O a few days on Earth as a trial run, and the next day would be her last. 

The trio walked in silence as dusk started to settle in.  2B tried to look out to the horizon to show 6O the sunset, but like the previous few days, the buildings around them obscured her view.   

She finally spoke up to cut the heavy mood. 

“We don’t have time to check all of the remaining access points tomorrow, so, I… had a thought for tomorrow’s schedule.” 

“Please tell me it doesn’t involve going back to the desert…” 9S groaned, earning a small chuckle from 6O.

“I think we’ll have to save the desert for another time.  For tomorrow, though, I think that the amusement park would be our best bet.” 

“The amusement park?  What’s that?” 6O tilted her head in 2B’s direction.

“It’s weird, that’s what it is…” 9S muttered.

“It’s also a very important midway point between Pascal’s village, the Forest Kingdom, and this city,” 2B ignored 9S’s statement. 

“I suppose you’re right,” 9S reluctantly agreed.  “As long as none of those spinning robots touch me…”

“You’ll be fine, 9S.  They’re harmless anyway.”

“Spinning robots?” 6O interjected.

“You’ll see tomorrow.”  2B spoke calmly, but she could feel her stomach clenching in nervousness.  There were so many things on her list of Things Operator 6O Would Enjoy but not nearly enough time to get through them all.  What she had planned, however, surely had to be at the top of the list. 

_And if what Pascal said was true…_

2B slowly opened and closed her fingers. 

“So, should we try to head out around noon?” 9S asked.

“Sounds good.  Is that alright, 6O?”

“Perfectly fine with me!” 6O flashed 2B a thumbs up. 

“Good.  In the meantime, let’s see if there’s anything else for us to do back at camp.” 

\----------

It had been a slow night at the Resistance Camp, and 6O was restless by the time morning rolled around.

“Come on 2B, we have so much to see!” 6O was practically bouncing in anticipation of the day ahead of them. 

“I’m glad to see you’re so peppy this morning,” 2B tried to suppress a small smile at her happier disposition. 

“Yeah!  9S was telling me about all these cool things at the amusement park while you were talking to Anemone!  He said the machines there act just like androids do!” 

2B shot 9S a curious glance, causing him to shift in embarrassment.  “I mean… They’re still weird, don’t get me wrong!  But… it is interesting, don’t you think?” 

“Interesting as far as machines go, I suppose.”  2B looked up at the sun overhead.  A quick glance at the clock on her visor’s display confirmed the time as nearing midday.  “It’s about time we head out,” she spoke while walking toward the entrance of the camp.

“I’m right behind you!”  6O chirped happily. 

“I’ll guard our rear, then,” 9S nodded at 2B.

\----------

The walk had been pleasant, although it had taken longer than expected as 6O stopped to take plenty of photographs.  Still, it took them less than an hour to make their way over.  “Remember, there are going to be a lot of machines when we get there,” 2B told 6O as they neared the entrance to the amusement park.  “They’re harmless as long as you don’t provoke them, though.”

6O nodded in affirmation.  “I’ll make sure to stay by you!”  She cupped her hand to her ear as they made their way past another small group of trees.  “Say, is that… music?”

A haunting carnival tune rang in the distance.  The music grew louder as the three approached the ticket gate, its melody slightly distorted from being broadcast over an out of sight intercom system installed long ago. 

“Not all carnival music is like this,” 9S chimed in.  6O turned to him with a curious look, and he continued.  “I was reading some documents about the Old World, and apparently, they were much more upbeat.  This music is a bit…”

“Melancholic?” 6O answered for him.

“Yeah… although, it does sound a bit different today than normal.”

In addition to the normal string instruments that 2B had heard the first time she had visited the amusement park, the sharp staccato of a snare drum and a bright trumpet line could be heard.  2B would have commented on the strange mix of tones, but in comparison to what else she had seen, it almost seemed normal. 

“Step right up, step right up!” a colorfully dressed Biped cheered from behind the ticket gate.  It aimed its large gun straight at 6O, making her shriek in surprise. 

“2B!  It’s gonna –”

“Don’t worry 6O, it’s just –”

“Eeek!” the operator shrieked and clutched 2B’s arm as a loud bang filled the air, followed by a stream of colorful balloons and confetti.  As 6O cautiously opened her eyes, she began to laugh and loosen her death grip on 2B. 

“They’re just… they’re just… balloons!” she clutched her sides in a fit of laughter. 

“Step right up!” the Biped repeated itself, waving a fan of tickets in its unoccupied hand. 

“This is certainly new… is there some sort of event going on today?”  9S looked at 2B.  2B nodded her head in confirmation. 

“Pascal told me that today would be a large festival.  So, I figured that since 6O would only be here one more day, we should try to gather as much unit data as possible.  A festival such as this may attract a large gathering of different machines.”  2B looked back at 9S and flinched under his skeptical frown.  “And… Okay, I thought that maybe since this is a rare occurrence, we could have some fun… while fixing up the access point here, of course,” she added quickly. 

“Aww, 2B!” 6O beamed.  2B’s could feel a clenching in her core as she looked into 6O’s bright eyes.  She watched as 6O turned and ran up to the machine at the ticket counter, her earlier fear having dissipated.  “Hello!” 6O exclaimed brightly and waved at the festive Biped. 

“Step right up, step right up!  There are… calculating… calculating... three guests!”  The machine pressed a rusted clicker which made three pinging noises.  “Here are your tickets!” it continued in a mechanical voice, handing 6O a small chain of five faded ticket stubs.

“Wow!  Are these really paper?  2B, look, real paper tickets!” she waved them in 2B’s face giddily.

“There are only three of us, though,” 9S crossed his arms and looked at the machine.

“One ticket is one attraction!  One attraction is one fun time!  One fun time is one ticket!  Please enjoy five fun times!  Step right up, step right up!” the Biped enthusiastically shot another stream of balloons into the air to punctuate its statement. 

2B turned and saw a group of impatient Stubbies forming a line behind them, presumably waiting for tickets of their own. 

“I suppose we should go inside.  Are you ready, 6O?” 

“Oh my gosh, yes!  Let’s go!” she grabbed 2B’s hand and laughed as she all but dragged 2B past the ticket gate and into the amusement park’s courtyard. 

A large group of equally colorful machines danced around the statue of a large golden rabbit, twirling in time with the music.  “Let’s be happy together!  Together!” they sang in unison, occasionally throwing up handfuls of confetti and streamers.

The three picked their way through the group of festivalgoers.  As they made their way to the main cobblestone alley, 2B kept glancing over at 6O, trying to gauge her mood. 

“So, 6O...” she began tentatively, “what do you think?” 

6O spun around, unsure of where to look.  “It’s… wow… it’s amazing!  I’m just a little overwhelmed is all.” 

2B nodded as she looked out at the large number of guests bustling around and the myriad of stalls and carnival games lining the street.  She was beginning to feel a little bit overwhelmed herself, and this had been her idea to begin with. 

“Is there anything you want to do?” 6O tilted her head slightly, the telltale lifting of her mask at the edges giving away her smile.  2B looked at 9S busy snapping photos with his pod and found herself curling and uncurling her fingers again. 

“I’ll be happy as long as you’re happy,” she admitted, glad that 9S was too preoccupied to hear. 

The way she could see the uncovered edges of 6O’s cheeks flush made 2B feel as though she were melting.  “Aww… that makes us two of a kind then!” 

6O’s eyes locked with 2B’s visor.  The lively atmosphere around them seemed to fade away as 2B found herself getting lost in her thoughts. 

_My operator…_

2B was both annoyed and relieved as 9S suddenly spoke up from behind her.   

“Hey guys, there’s a snack booth over there!  I’ve always wanted to try real Earth snacks!” he pointed over to a stall painted with rainbow stripes.

“Ooh, me too!” 6O clenched her fists in front of herself in excitement.   

“Are they still real Earth snacks if they’re made by machines?  And besides, androids don’t need food,” 2B commented bluntly.  9S and 6O didn’t seem to hear or care as they worked their way toward the stall anyway.  2B sighed and watched the two walk off before a flying machine bumped into her from behind.  She spun around, hand reaching for her blade on instinct, but she stopped herself as she saw that it was just a friendly machine hovering in front of her.   

“Welcome, welcome!” it exclaimed, wobbling side to side in what she assumed was an armless wave.  “Congratulations!  You’re our first customer!”  There was a light whirring noise before a small extendable tray shot out from the base of the machine, a shimmering pair of earrings held out toward 2B.

“Customer?  But I didn’t -“

“Welcome, welcome!” the machine repeated on loop.  It nudged against 2B, clearly programmed to offer up prizes to random amusement park guests. 

“Thanks, I guess…” 2B hesitantly picked up the jewelry.  She retracted her hand quickly as the machine whipped the tray back inside its body and flew off to pursue other lucky “customers”. 

She turned over the earrings in her fingers.  She knew nothing of appraising jewelry, and none of the YoRHa units she knew wore anything of the sort.  That didn’t stop her from finding the pair beautiful, though.  A group of small blue stones were set in a triangle formation with gold running in between.  She held the pair up to the light, admiring the way they sparkled.    

_One more thing for the list of Things Operator 6O Would Enjoy…_

“2B, look at what we got!”  9S’s cheerful voice spurred 2B to quickly stow the precious earrings into a small concealed pocket.  She turned to face him and 6O, smirking slightly as she looked at 9S. 

“You’ve got a little something on your face.”

“I do?” 9S questioned, a half-eaten caramel apple in his left hand, a bag of kettle corn in his right, and sticky evidence clinging to a bit of his cheek. 

6O giggled as 9S’s pod tried to wipe the caramel from his face.  “We got all this food for only one ticket!  Oh, and I went ahead and bought this pink puffy stuff… I think they called it cotton candy?  Anyway,” she held the fluffy treat out to 2B, “you want to try some?”

2B eyed it curiously before tearing a small piece off.  It felt soft, and she squished it experimentally between her fingers.  She could see 6O looking at her expectantly, so she hesitantly took a bite.  As soon as the cotton candy hit her tongue, it began to dissolve, catching 2B off guard.  6O laughed again at the surprise on 2B’s face. 

“So?  How is it?”

“It’s… sweet,” 2B answered truthfully.  “Are you going to eat it?  You’re going to need to take off your mask.” She tried to think of a time when she had seen 6O without her mask on and failed.

“Mm… don’t tell the Commander, okay?” 6O winked as she reached up to remove the veil in front of her face. 

2B wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but she wasn’t prepared to see 6O’s smiling face shining more brilliantly at her than the earrings she had stowed away.  The way her small nose framed her face, the curve of her lips, how soft her skin looked to the touch… 2B filed away the sight into her most precious memories. 

“You should take off your visor, 2B!” 6O suggested.  “After all, there aren’t any enemies around, right?” 

2B wished she had a mask of her own in that moment as she blushed.  Everything felt as though it was both moving far too fast and trickling by in slow motion.  She swallowed thickly.  “All model-B combat units are required to wear a visor during missions,” she quoted her training manual in response, hoping to end the conversation.

“Aww… well, if you change your mind…” 6O gave a small smile and a wink again before taking a large bite out of her cotton candy.  She made a similarly surprised face.  “Whoah, it melted!  Or… dissolved?  That’s so cool!  Earth food is the best!” she exclaimed.  She held the bitten cotton candy out with one hand and had 9S’s pod take a picture of her making a peace sign with her other hand. 

“Speaking of the mission, we should probably make our way over towards the access point through this back alley,” 2B gestured down a shaded side street. 

“Ah, right… the sooner we fix that, the sooner we can go back to enjoying the festival, right?” 6O spoke through another mouthful of cotton candy. 

“This is the only access point on our schedule for today, so yes, that is correct,” 2B replied as she began making her way down the alleyway. 

\----------

The access point in question took considerably longer to fix than any of the three had anticipated.  Despite that, the time passed by quickly as 6O worked.  9S fed the operator bits of kettle corn as encouragement while he and 2B recounted both their interesting and mundane stories of their time on Earth.    

“There… that should… be about… it…” 6O gritted her teeth as she tightened a screw back in place.  “Okay, pod, can you run another transfer test?”

After a few moments, 2B’s pod made a beeping noise to signal its completion.

“Test data transfer complete.  Analysis: signal strengthened by 84% with a 58% increase in transfer speed.”

“Aww, not as good as last time…” 6O sighed. 

“Any improvement is a job well done,” 2B spoke as she helped 6O to her feet. 

“Yeah, and an over 50% increase in transfer speed is still a lot!  Man, I wish we could keep you down here forever!” 9S laughed. 

“Yeah, me too,” 6O returned a smile before looking away from 2B and 9S.

They all knew that today was 6O’s last day, but that was even more of a reason for 2B to make sure that they made it a happy one, not one filled with worry about it ending.

“Hey, we still have 4 tickets left, right?” she spoke up.  “Let’s find another attraction before it gets too much later.”

“Mm, that sounds good,” 9S agreed before pulling out a paper guide map that he had picked up near the ticket gate earlier.  “Let’s see… hey, there’s the roller coaster, remember?  Wanna ride that?” he gave 2B a smug smile.

“That old thing?  I’d sooner pilot a flight unit blindfolded than trust that,” she crossed her arms and frowned. 

“Don’t you always wear a blindfold though, 2B?” 6O looked up at her.

“Yeah, and besides, don’t they have safety checks and whatever?” 9S chimed in. 

“First of all, it’s a visor, and secondly, how are we supposed to know how many thousands of years it’s been since they last performed maintenance on that thing?”

The three of them turned as an abrupt series of shrieks in the distance filled the air.  2B could make out the roller coaster hurtling at breakneck speeds along the track.

“You see?  They’re _screaming!_ ” 2B continued frowning. 

“They’re screaming because it’s _fun_!  Besides, isn’t today supposed to be about what 6O wants?” 9S continued enthusiastically. 

2B let out an exasperated sigh.  He was unfortunately right, after all.

“If 6O wants to ride it, then I guess one time won’t hurt.  Hopefully.  6O?” 2B turned to look at 6O fidgeting with her fingers.

“It… it looks scary, but sort of an exhilarating kind of scary?” her voice rose at the end of her statement in a half question.  “I kinda wanna try it… I mean, it’s not like we have roller coasters back on the Bunker or anything.”

The image of the Commander riding a roller coaster with arms folded and a stern expression on her face flashed through 2B’s mind.  Had she not been preoccupied with worrying for 6O’s safety, she would have found the idea comical. 

2B ran a hand through her hair.  “Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you two.” 

\----------

Half an hour later, 2B was patting 6O on the back as she threw up into a trashcan. 

“I didn’t… I didn’t know, I’m sorry 2-” 6O tried to apologize as the name 2B blended seamlessly into another bout of hurling. 

“Just get it all out of your system…” she sighed again as she patted 6O on the back again.  She shot 9S an icy glare. 

“I’m never… I’m never gonna ride a roller coaster again!” 6O whimpered and wiped her mouth with the last of the napkins 9S had brought her. 

“Maybe we should try out a less adrenaline pumping attraction?” 9S offered meekly as 2B glowered at him. 

6O nodded weakly.  “Didn’t that sign say they were having a play or something?  I think it started already, but I’ve never been to a play before…” she trailed off and looked up at 2B hopefully. 

“Ah… that weird love play?  It sounds…” she looked at 6O’s hopeful gaze and bit her cheek.  “It sounds great.  9S, can you lead the way this time?” 

“Wait, really?  I mean… I guess, yeah, if you actually want to see it,” 9S shrugged and started walking toward the gates leading toward the theater. 

Pascal had mentioned the play to her as well.

_“Records show that humans used to go to theaters quite often when they went on dates,” Pascal informed her._

_“That’s… this isn’t… it’s not a date, Pascal!” 2B’s face turned beet red._

_“Of course it’s not,” Pascal laughed.  “Some of the other machines were telling me how romantic it was, though.  Maybe the two of you would enjoy it?”_

_“… thanks Pascal.  I’ll keep it in mind,” she turned away so that he couldn’t see her face._

_“It’s the least I could do!  Good luck on your date, 2B!”_

_It took all she had to stop her racing core from overheating.  With a nod, she walked back to rescue 9S from being surrounded by another group of Stubby children._

It became quickly obvious as they filed into the crowded theater that there was a disconnect between what humans, androids, and robots found romantic.

“Die, Romeo!  Thou stupid asshole!” one of the Juliets on stage yelled before kicking said Romeo in the leg.

“I shall make thee regret the day of thy birth!” shouted a separate Romeo as he body slammed into the first Juliet. 

“Are they, are they really fighting?” 6O looked up at 2B in bewilderment as the crowd cheered on the ensuing brawl.  She flinched as the sound of exploding machine parts and the smell of smoke filled the air.

“I’ll tear the shit out of thee!”

“Pisseth off!”

Before long, only one machine stood on stage.

“My Romeos are no more.  I have slain them each and all.  I must join them anon!” the last Juliet shouted before self-destructing.  Wild applause from the audience followed as the curtain closed. 

“Thank you for watching this year’s production of _Romeos and Juliets_!  Please go backstage for autographs from the stars themselves!” rang a machine voice over the intercom. 

“Must be difficult to sign an autograph if they blew themselves up,” 9S mused. 

2B mentally kicked herself for agreeing to take 6O to the play.  It was far from her idea of romantic.

She looked at 6O in surprise as the operator burst into laughter beside her.

“That was,” she clutched her sides as she laughed, “that was so _weird_!  Oh gosh, pisseth off?  Really?” she dissolved into another fit of giggles. 

_Or… maybe I am glad we saw the play after all._

2B smiled before a small notification flashed in the corner of her display. 

_Is it already getting that late?_

“So, what’s next, 2B?” 6O grinned. 

“Given the time, I don’t think we’ll be able to use both of our remaining attraction tickets.  I’m sorry, 6O,” she apologized.  _Fixing up that access point took longer than I thought it would…_

“Aww… that’s okay I guess!  That means I’ll be able to keep the spare ticket as a memento!” 6O maintained her bright demeanor.  “Is there anything _you_ wanted to spend another ticket on?” 

“Yes, there’s a special surprise I wanted to show you.”  She gave 6O a small smile. 

“Awww, 2B, can you tell me what it is?” she pleaded.

2B saw 9S look at her and mimic an explosion with his hands.  She nodded at him, causing 6O to whip her head back and forth between 9S and 2B.

“ _Guys,_ you’re so mean!” 6O crossed her arms and frowned at 2B. 

 _God, she’s even more adorable when she pouts…_   

“We should start making our way up,” 2B ignored her operator’s whines. 

“Right behind you!” 9S made a mock salute. 

2B led 9S and 6O towards one of the corners of the large castle.  She saw 6O gaze up at the giant heart-shaped cutout in the center in awe.  2B opened and closed her fingers again to settle her nerves. 

After a few minutes of walking, they came across a somewhat concealed staircase that wound its way up one of the castle spires. 

“Watch your step,” 2B called out as she began to climb the stairs. 

The staircase seemed to spiral upwards for an eternity.

Every fifty or so steps, there was a small landing with a window overlooking the park.  The sun had begun to set by the time they were halfway up the climb, and with each new landing, they could see the park becoming more and more bathed in warm reds and golds. 

At last, a lone clown-like Stubby stood at the top of the stairs to greet them.

“W-W-W-Welcome!” it stuttered and extended a shaky hand.  “The show, will s-start in, one, one ticket please!” it continued and waved its hand expectantly. 

6O cautiously handed one of her tickets over, and there was a clicking of the door behind the Stubby unlocking.

“Th-thank you for the sh-show!  Please e-enjoy your t-t-ticket!” it bowed and opened the door for them.  

The door opened to a large circular platform.  A low crenellated wall lined the perimeter, although portions of it had crumbled away over time.  As they had climbed the stairs, the park had seemed ablaze in the setting sun.  Now, however, cool purples had started to settle over the lookout point and the surrounding area.

“This is… breathtaking…” 6O whispered to herself.

“It looks like we’re the only ones up here as well,” 9S stretched his arms in front of his body. 

With the whole area to themselves, 2B followed 6O as she picked out a spot for them to sit.  After watching 6O survey her surroundings, 2B took a seat in between 6O and 9S a few feet from one of the crumbling walls. 

“I never knew the sunset could be so beautiful,” 6O turned to her right to look at 2B and 9S. 

“Yeah, it’s hard to get a good view from the city because of all the buildings,” 9S agreed.  “It’s a shame we didn’t get here a few minutes earlier though… looks like we caught the tail end of it.”

2B nodded in silent agreement.  She let her shoulders slump, feeling slightly dejected.  Sure, 6O seemed to have enjoyed herself, but there were so many small things that 2B wished she had done differently to have made the day perfect.

“Hey, 2B,” 6O spoke softly.  “I just wanted to say thank you… I mean, I know I’ve said that probably a million times this trip, but, I really mean it… this has been… probably the best experience of my whole life!” 

_Damn, was I really that easy to read?  So much for emotions being prohibited…_

Still, she gave a small wordless smile back at 6O. 

They sat in silence for a few minutes as the sun dipped lower and lower in the sky.  As the first few stars began to appear in the sky, 6O shifted beside 2B. 

“Is it… time to go back down now?” 6O asked with a small sniffle, her voice full of heartbreak.  Her pained tone gripped at 2B’s stomach. 

“Go back down?  But the show hasn’t even started yet!” 9S responded in 2B’s stead. 

“The show?” 6O tilted her head slightly. 

A large booming noise resounded overhead, and a fizzling sound soon followed.

2B watched green and purple lights reflect in 6O’s tear filled eyes. 

There were so many things 2B wanted to say in that moment.  So many feelings she had kept to herself, so many fears and dreams and hopes and despairs.  She hadn’t prepared any of it, and a mess of words and emotions jumbled about in her head. 

“Fireworks,” was all she managed to whisper before the sound of more brightly colored explosions drowned her out.   

9S laid back on the ground, and 2B and 6O soon followed suit. 

Each firework burst into a seemingly infinite number of shimmering lights, and before long, more colors filled the sky above them than 2B had ever thought existed. 

“Hey, that one looks like a rabbit!” 9S yelled over the sound of a particularly large explosion of yellow and pink. 

“Ooh, and that one kinda looks like an apple!” 6O yelled back as a brilliant crimson firework faded from view, only to be replaced by a sea of blues and oranges. 

“That one looks like a lunar tear, doesn’t it?” 2B hesitantly added as she pointed up at a vaguely floral array of milky white lights.

“Yeah, it kinda does, doesn’t it!” 6O giggled beside her. 

The fireworks seemed endless, and 2B wished it were so as the three of them called out various shapes they made out in the fireworks’ patterns.  They were abstract interpretations at best, but 2B couldn’t have asked for anything more. 

As the fireworks built up in intensity toward the finale, they lay quietly under the pyrotechnic rainbow of lights blanketing the sky.    

2B tore her gaze away from the fireworks to look at 6O.  She watched her pale skin reflect the myriad of fireworks overhead.  Lying so close to 6O made her stomach twist itself in knots, and she opened and closed her fingers on nervous instinct yet again. 

She shut her eyes to try to calm her nerves as she repeated the motion.

_Open.  Close.  Open.  Close.  Open…_

2B felt a featherlike touch graze her fingertips as she began to close them again.  She opened her eyes and saw 6O gazing back at her. 

The crash and lights of another firework cast a warm glow over them.  2B laid perfectly still, afraid to breathe as 6O slowly slid her hand into 2B’s, fingers interlocking. 

A series of blue explosions above them did little to wipe away the lingering reds in their cheeks. 

6O gently squeezed 2B’s hand.  Though both of them were wearing gloves, they were thin enough that 2B could feel the heat of 6O’s fingers mingling with her own.  She squeezed back lightly in return. 

2B saw 6O open her mouth to speak, but as the fireworks above reached their climax, she gave up words and turned back to watch the finale with her hand still in 2B’s. 

The final series of fireworks were so intensely bright that none of them could look directly at it.  Eventually, the constant explosions stopped, and a thin smoky haze remained as the only evidence of the impressive display. 

After a few more moments of lying in silence, 2B heard 9S begin to sit up.

Both she and 6O quickly drew back their hands as he spoke. 

“I’m gonna start to make my way down now, ok?”

“Sounds good,” 2B replied, still lying down.  “6O and I will follow you shortly.”

“I’ll see you at the bottom, then,” 9S shot her a grin.  He nodded in the direction of 2B’s hand and gave her a thumbs up as he walked away, leaving 2B’s mind spinning. 

“See you at the bottom,” 6O called out to him as he made his way back to the door. 

A gentle breeze blew across the two androids, clearing up their view of the night sky above them. 

With a shaky breath, 2B lifted her head and removed her visor, setting it down on her right side. 

Moonlight and starlight alike gleamed in 6O’s eyes as 2B’s gaze caught hers. 

A brief eternity passed.

After a few seconds, 6O whispered, “I thought you were required to wear a visor during a mission?”

“I know,” 2B whispered back. 

Her fingers tentatively sought out 6O’s as if to prove to herself that earlier wasn’t just a dream. 

Her efforts were rewarded with another gentle squeeze.

There were no fireworks to blame for the heat rising in both of their cheeks.

“2B… can you see the Bunker from here?” 6O turned her flushed face back up towards the night sky. 

2B turned her eyes upwards as well.  Somewhere above them, miles away in space, her fellow YoRHa units stood constant watch over Earth.  Yet, as her eyes roamed the sky, she couldn’t find a trace of the Bunker. 

2B strengthened her grip on 6O’s hand, savoring the feeling of 6O’s fingers intertwined with her own.

“No,” 2B answered softly. 

_This moment doesn’t belong to YoRHa…_

_This moment doesn’t belong to mankind…_

_This moment… this moment is ours alone._

“No, I can’t,” she repeated. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Gay android hand-holding? In MY fanfiction? It's more likely than you think!"
> 
> But seriously, I had a huge blast writing this chapter, so I hope that you all enjoyed it as well! 
> 
> This is more than likely going to be the longest chapter in the whole fic (and indeed it's nearly as large as the first three chapters put together!). I do hope that you stick around for the last two chapters, though! 
> 
> Also, in case you wanted to know, when I described the earrings, I had the "Spiritual Stone of Water" from Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in mind. Just as an idea of a beautiful set of earrings, of course, not as some sort of weird LoZ crossover! 
> 
> Thank you all again for reading, and as I've said before, I love reading your comments! 
> 
> I'll see you all again in chapter 5!


	5. w[E]ight of the world

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heavy spoilers for ending A (although there have been some spoilers throughout this whole story, but yeah, just another heads up)

 

 

“Please, 2B… I want you… to do this… for me…”

\----------

“It always… ends like this…”

\----------

There was never much cause for celebration on the Bunker. 

For the longest time, there were only ever small victories in the ongoing war against the machines.  The losses tended to outnumber the wins as well.

Today was different, however. 

“Hey!  You’re 2B, right?  I heard about what happened!  You’re like, so cool!” an operator 2B didn’t recognize suddenly called out to her as she made her way to her room. 

“Right.  Excuse me,” she nodded curtly, making her way past the girl.  2B heard a sigh as she walked past her.

“She’s even cooler in person!” 

2B rolled her eyes.  This was becoming a more and more common occurrence as of late, and 2B could hardly leave her room without someone congratulating her or asking her questions.    

“Hey, 2B!” she heard a voice from behind her. 

“I’m busy,” 2B replied tiredly without even bothering to turn to see who was talking to her.

If it wasn’t the Commander, 9S, or 6O, it was a nobody in her eyes. 

She quickly shut herself in her room, the sound of her door closing cutting off any protests the person outside may have raised.  Her own thoughts crashing about in her head were enough to deal with without someone else’s mindless chatter clogging up her mind. 

_He’s alright.  His memory’s intact.  It’s okay.  He’s fine, 9S, he’s okay…_

She tried to calm herself down with a few steady breaths.  After a few minutes of stressfully pacing up and down in her cramped quarters, 2B sat on her bed.  Her darkest memories and fears started to play out in front of her as she stared up at her ceiling.   

_How long can I fight amidst this bloody vortex of a battlefield?_

_How long can I continue to protect what I love amidst this endless war?_

_How long can I continue to believe in a world laden with deceit and folly?_

_How long can I lie to myself as I despair at the dark future of this world?_

_How long, I wonder?_

_How long, I wonder…_

2B closed her eyes and felt the past few weeks of stress and fatigue wash over herself in unrelenting waves. 

_I can’t protect him… Failed again… How many times… Lost track… How many more times… How long, I wonder…_

_What if… I can’t protect her…_

It was driving her mad.  She picked up her pillow and threw it against the wall, the light thump not nearly as satisfying a noise as she was hoping it would be. 

_Open, close, open, close, open…_

\----------

“Just… a bit… higher…” 6O stood on her tiptoes, trying desperately to attach a black and white decoration of sorts to the ceiling in the hallway. 

“It’s a bit off center… maybe if you just move it to the left a little bit, it’ll be even…” 9S scratched his head as he watched her struggle with lining up the hanging ornament.

“What’s going on?” 2B questioned.  During the few hours that she had spent holing up in her room, the Bunker had seemed to have undergone a full transformation.  There were lights and streamers hung up everywhere, and 2B had no idea where the intricate lace garlands that had mysteriously appeared above her door had even come from.  She had been content to ignore the Bunker’s remodeling until she had noticed 9S and 6O also taking part. 

“It’s for the ball!  Oh, 2B, can you believe it?  A real ball!”  6O answered excitedly, almost falling off of the ladder she was precariously standing on. 

“Hey, watch it!” 9S grabbed the ladder’s legs quickly. 

“The… ball?”  2B couldn’t remember anything about an upcoming event of any kind.

“Yeah!  Weren’t you at the meeting?  I sent 17O over to go get you a few hours ago… she said you were in your room, so I thought you were just getting ready.”  6O’s brows furrowed as she straightened the ornament she was attempting to hang for the third time.

_Oh, so that’s what that was about?  I suppose I shouldn’t have ignored the voice earlier…_

2B frowned and turned to 9S for further information.

“Command’s throwing a big ball to celebrate the damage we did to the machine network.  They say this is one of the biggest steps we’ve had in the war against the machines in ages, after all.”  9S fished around in the bag of decorations he was holding, trying to find a suitable one to hang near the window.  “Hey, 6O, I’m gonna put this one up over there,” he pointed to an empty spot a few feet away.  “Can you put up the flyers on the door?”

“Sure thing!  Wanna help, 2B?” 

2B stared at the flyer in 6O’s outstretched hand.  It bore a simple design with the date of the ball written in large black marker. 

_It’s in 3 days, huh?_

“Hello?  Bunker to 2B?” 6O giggled.

6O’s voice was bright and cheerful.

2B supposed it made sense for it to be so.

After all, why shouldn’t she be happy?

Adam and Eve were dead.

The machines were weakened. 

This could be the opening humanity had been searching for for so long. 

“Yeah, sure,” 2B nodded and took a few flyers from 6O before beginning to tape them to the window. 

She and 6O worked quietly as they posted flyers all around the hallway. 

“So, do you know who you’re gonna take to the ball already?” 6O suddenly interrupted the silence. 

2B took in a long breath.  The memory of her fingers squeezing 9S’s throat were still fresh in her mind.  The idea of a celebration sounded like a mockery of yet another one of her pitiful attempts to protect those who were close to her.  She couldn’t help but see guilt reflect off the shiny jet black ornaments hanging around the walls and ceiling.  Everywhere she looked, her failure stared back at her. 

2B began to think of a way to tell 6O that she wasn’t interested in going at all but didn’t have time to respond as 6O continued.

“I-If not, I was wondering if, maybe, you could… be my partner?” she turned to face 2B with a light blush tinging her cheeks pink.   

2B paused for a moment, her hand pressed against the cool window of the Bunker after having taped up another flyer.

“Why do you need a partner?” 2B answered, trying to deflect the question as she moved to an empty space on the wall. 

“It’s human tradition to have a partner for events like this!  And, I just… I would be really happy if we could go together?” 6O’s voice rose in another one of her half questions. 

_Be her partner, huh…_

She had had a partner before, of course. 

_And look how well that turned out._

Everything inside of her told her no, that she shouldn’t accept the invitation, that she didn’t _deserve_ to accept it, that –

“Okay,” 2B shut off her thoughts and responded.

“Really?  Ah, I’m so glad! So, it’s a date then!” 6O giggled happily. 

“Right, it’s a… date,” 2B tested the word as she felt her face flush. 

\----------

The Bunker was abuzz with activity.  While a fair few of the operators and scanner units spent time making last minute preparations for the ball, more directly involved units such as 2B and 9S had their hands full supplying Command with both data logs and oral accounts of their time on Earth. 

“That’s why it would make much more sense to split the squadrons between these two points instead,” 2B explained her proposal through gritted teeth.  The past few hours had been slowly grinding at her nerves as she tried to explain the machine’s battle patterns to a pair of stubborn operators.  

“Right, if you say so, 2B,” one of them rolled her eyes and typed on a virtual notepad.

“Hey 2B!  Almost done there?” 2B heard 9S call to her from the doorway.

“Oh, it’s already break time!  Sorry 2B, we’ll continue this afterwards!” the other operator in 2B’s group shouted excitedly as she whipped out a handheld device, its holographic display lighting up.  She let out a small shriek and waved the small device in front of the other operator across from her.  “Look, I leveled up!”

“You’re already level 937?” the first operator shouted incredulously.  “There’s no way!  You must have cheated!”  The two of them quickly forgot 2B was even with them as they chatted about their game – the latest craze amongst those stationed on the Bunker.

2B turned wordlessly and walked towards 9S leaning against the doorframe.

“Busy day today?” 9S questioned, nodding over at the two squealing operators. 

“About the same as always,” 2B replied with a sigh. 

“Yeah, same here… still, if you find the time, you should probably get some rest, 2B.  Only a few more hours to go, after all.”

2B quickly glanced at the calendar in the corner of her visor’s display and frowned.

“Huh.  I thought the ball was tomorrow…”

“Geeze, did you even read the flyers you were putting up?  At least tell me you prepared a speech… you did, didn’t you 2B?” 9S asked in a worried tone.

“… I’ll figure something out.”

“2B…” he groaned and ran his hand through his hair.  “You remember the time, right?”

“Yes.  I’ll pick up 6O in a few hours,” she stated.  The words felt strange as she spoke.  After years of constantly fighting and suppressing her emotions, the whole situation was impossibly foreign to her. 

“Sounds good.  I’ll probably be setting up a few things beforehand, so I’ll meet you in the ballroom, okay?”

“Wait… we have a ballroom?” 2B tilted her head slightly.

9S let out another exasperated sigh. 

\----------

2B stood quite literally speechless outside of 6O’s door.  She could hear the muffled sound of an Old World pop song from inside 6O’s room, and she hesitated knocking. 

2B shifted back and forth, contemplating what to say when she opened the door.

_It’s just 6O.  I’m sure anything would be fine…_

2B finally rapped lightly against the metal door, almost immediately met with a response from 6O.

“Just a sec!  Wait, where did I… h-hold on a minute 2B!”  The faint music was replaced with a loud crashing noises, yelps, and cursing from 6O. 

“6O, are you alright..?” 2B called out tentatively.  She was contemplating forcing her way in to check on 6O herself before the operator hurriedly opened the door.

“Phew!  Hey there, 2B!  Sorry I took so long!” 6O ran her fingers through her hair as she spoke, chuckling lightly.  “So, what do you think?” she asked nervously.

2B was rooted to the spot as she gazed at 6O.  She had always thought that the standard operator uniform had suited 6O quite well, and after years of missions with YoRHa, she had very rarely seen 6O not in full uniform.  Occasionally she ran into 6O wearing a hair accessory, and once 2B had seen her wear a scarf when that craze had taken the Bunker by storm, but…

This…

2B was glad that 6O couldn’t see her eyes roving over the operator’s figure.  An elegant black dress clung to her body, perfectly accentuating her curves.  Gold ornamentation added to the rich appearance.  2B wasn’t sure if such a dress would have been considered high or low quality by Old World standards, but seeing the lithe operator in front of her made her feel immediately embarrassed by her own standard battle apparel. 

“You look… good.  Very, very good,” 2B struggled to find the words to express herself without going over the top.  “I apologize for not wearing a fancy dress,” she looked down at her own clothing.  Her appearance screamed battle-worn, whereas 6O’s exuded an air of refinement. 

“You look nice yourself, 2B!” 6O beamed back at her from behind her mask. 

“It’s alright.  I know I look quite plain like this,” 2B replied, casually tugging at part of her outfit, flinching as she realized it even had small tears in places.  

6O simply giggled.  “Oh 2B… you always look so wonderful…” she trailed off softly.

“Th-Thank you,” 2B stammered and shifted awkwardly.  “I… I think so too.  That you always look wonderful as well, that is,” she added quickly, not wanting 6O to misunderstand.  6O’s warm laugh filled the space between them, and 2B blushed, her core racing.

“You’re so cute when you blush, 2B… oh, right, we’re gonna be late for the dancing!  C’mon, let’s go to the ballroom!” 6O clenched her fists in front of herself excitedly. 

“R-Right, let’s go, 6O,” 2B only felt her face flush more at 6O’s comment. 

_I swear, this operator is more dangerous than any Goliath I’ve ever fought…_

\----------

In true YoRHa fashion, the ornaments decorating the ballroom were mainly sleek black, forming an elegant monochrome atmosphere.  It was haunting and ethereal – beautiful in its own right.  Still, 2B couldn’t help but find it pale in comparison to the fireworks she had seen together with her operator.

_My operator… my… date…_

2B swallowed to suppress the fluttering feeling in her stomach. 

 “Wow, this is incredible, isn’t it, 2B?” 6O spoke for her in awe, gazing around the room. 

“Hey, 2B!  6O!” 9S called out from the side of the room.

“Oh, hi 9S!” 6O waved cheerfully at him.  “You sure look handsome!”

2B nodded as she looked over at him.  It was strange seeing him in a neat, sharp suit, but it was far from unflattering on him. 

“Agreed.  That looks quite good on you, 9S,” she echoed 6O’s sentiment. 

“And I see you got dressed up as well, 2B.”  2B could tell he was rolling his eyes behind his visor, but she didn’t comment on it. 

“Wearing a fancy dress would inhibit my ability to act in the event of an emergency situation,” she frowned at 9S.  “And besides… such a dress suits 6O much more than it would me.”  She looked back over at the elegantly dressed operator and felt her stomach make another flip. 

_God help me if they make that the new operator uniform…_

“Aww, 2B, you’d look even more perfect in a dress like this, I just know it!” 6O giggled and turned toward 2B. 

2B could see 6O sizing her up and imagining her in a formal dress, and the idea made her feel self-conscious.  6O seemed to pick up on her uncomfortable shifting and waved her hand quickly. 

“You don’t have to wear a fancy dress if you don’t want to, of course!  Maybe… something more casual?” 

“We could all go T-shirt shopping together sometime,” 9S offered with a shrug.

“Ooh, that sounds so fun!” 6O was ecstatic at the idea.  Her endless enthusiasm was admirable.  “Once all of this is over… could we go shopping together?  We could buy you something that looks good on you!”

“… A T-shirt?” 

“What?  Not interested?” 6O tilted her head at 2B.

2B could hear 9S’s voice in 6O’s words.  Her curious eyes were trained on 2B’s visor, and it pulled at something deep inside of her.  6O and 9S were so different, and yet…

2B could feel a gnawing feeling building in her stomach. 

“Hmm… When that day comes, I’m all for it,” she responded to 6O, offering a small smile as she tried to ignore the dull pain spreading to her chest.   

2B saw 9S turn and wave toward someone else across the room. 

“Hey, 21O is calling me over, so I’ll probably split off from you guys for now, okay?” 9S grinned at 2B. 

“Oh wow 9S!  Are you and 21O a thing?!  She didn’t tell me anything about that!” 6O flashed him a thumbs up, causing him to rub his head sheepishly. 

“We’re just friends!  For now, at least…” 9S mumbled the last bit before clearing his throat.  “A-Anyway, I’ll be out of your guys’ hair now!  I think they’re gonna start up the music again soon.  Oh, the buffet bar is awesome by the way, so, if you haven’t already, you should check it out!” 9S pointed to a line of silver trays filled with an array of exotic hors d’oeuvres. 

“Androids – ”

“Don’t need food, yeah, yeah, I know 2B,” 9S cut her off and sighed in exasperation.  “Still, your _date_ might want a bite to eat, you know,” he heavily emphasized the word as he nodded over toward 6O. 

“Music from the Old World will be starting shortly.  Those who wish to partake in the human pastime of ballroom dancing, please find your partner and move to one of the designated dancing sections,” a stiff voice played over the intercom. 

“Okay, anyway, I’ll see you guys later!  Good luck on your speech, 2B!” 9S spoke hurriedly. 

“Ah… right, I forgot about that,” she muttered to herself as she watched 9S weave his way through the crowd. 

A few moments later, the sound of ancient instruments filled the room.  It was unlike anything 2B had ever heard.  Although she was a novice when it came to music, even 2B could pick out how the song seemed to cleanly divide itself into three main beats.  The sound was strange to hear, yet it wasn’t wholly unpleasant. 

“I think the humans called this a waltz,” 6O answered 2B’s thoughts.  “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?  Perhaps a bit somber sounding, though…”

“Mm…” 2B watched her fellow YoRHa members partner off and begin dancing in time with the music.

Or, at least, they tried to.  There were some who were more talented than others, but a fair few stepped off beat, only narrowing avoiding crashing into each other as they spun in chaotic circles.  Their dresses and actions caused 2B to shudder as she was reminded of the large opera singing robot she had destroyed in the amusement park with 9S. 

“Would you… care to dance with me, 2B?” 6O broke her out of her reminiscence. 

“I don’t know how to dance,” 2B replied cautiously, not wanting to disappoint 6O or accidentally crash into other YoRHa members in a pitiful attempt at dancing. 

“That’s okay!” 6O nodded and held out a hand toward 2B.  “Just follow my movements, okay?” 

2B looked at the outstretched hand, a thin gold diamond pattern extending down the back of the gloves covering the operator’s slender fingers.   

She took 6O’s fingers in her own, the warmth and softness still a new luxury to her. 

“Right, I’ll follow your lead then,” she nodded and walked behind 6O to an unoccupied corner of the dance floor. 

6O spun to face 2B and spoke softly.  “Just place your hand here,” she moved 2B’s hand to rest behind her, “and slowly step like this.”

2B was used to leading the way – it was always up to her to remove the foremost threats when she explored new areas with 9S.  9S was her support, and she his protector.  When 6O had come down to Earth, it was only natural that 2B would protect her combat inept operator as well. 

Being led by 6O in a dance was a new sensation.  She took tentative steps and tried to match 6O’s timing as best she could.

6O pulled 2B a bit closer to her as she continued her movements, flowing like smooth machine oil between steps.  “That’s it 2B… just like that!  See?  You’re a natural,” 6O softly whispered near 2B’s ear, causing her to shiver despite the warmth of the operator’s fingers and the room around her.  

2B cast her eyes about the room as she felt herself be swept away in the waves of music slowly growing in volume around her.  In the far corner, she could see 9S laughing and spinning with 21O.  She gripped 6O’s fingers tighter as she felt the earlier feeling in the pit of her stomach worsen. 

“Where did you learn to dance so well?” she questioned in an attempt to distract herself.

6O’s laughed lightly.  “It gets super boring up here, you know?  It’s only natural that we operators would learn lots of odd talents while cooped up here.  I found that I really liked dancing… I never had a real partner to try this out with, though, so I’m really glad you’re here!” she finished, her eyes full of warmth and sincerity. 

“Right.  I’m glad I could help you,” 2B responded, unable to hold 6O’s gaze, even with her visor on.  6O’s hopeful eyes only made her self-doubt rise like an unceasing wave. 

_Can’t protect, can’t lead, it always ends like this…_

Her steps were out of time. 

Was the music changing? 

She shuffled awkwardly alongside 6O. 

_I’m glad you’re here… were those 6O’s words?  Were those 9S’s?_

_Emotions are prohibited…_

Her legs stopped as her core, her mind, her everything seemed to race and shut down simultaneously. 

“2B?  Is everything alright?” 6O’s worried tone filled the space between them.

_9S is safe with 21O, isn’t he?  Only you ever let him down.  It was always you, it’s always you, it always will be you, it –_

“Hey, you can tell me if something’s wrong, okay?” 6O gently brushed her fingertips against 2B’s cheek, causing her to jolt. 

“I’m sorry, I’m going to… I need some air,” 2B somehow managed to choke out, trying her best to calm her rapid breathing.  She broke off from 6O, quickly walking toward the nearest exit.  

“H-Hey, 2B, wait!” 6O called out for 2B as she slipped past other dancing YoRHa units, the orchestral music taunting her as she made her leave. 

_A celebration, a celebration of your failure, always your failure, can’t protect him…_

2B stumbled into her room a few minutes later and quickly locked her door behind herself.  She could barely think straight as she tore her visor off, throwing it on the bed beside her as she sat down, her body trembling. 

6O’s eyes and 9S’s smile – they were one in the same to her.  She scratched at her throat, a burning feeling taking root.  It felt like she was being choked, like she choked 9S, _like I choked 9S, like I failed, I failed, I killed him..._

2B stared at the shaking fingers in front of her, her gloves covered in 9S’s blood, in 6O’s blood, in her betrayal, in death, in failure –

“2B!”  6O stood in the doorway, a keycard in her hand.

“I… I thought I locked the door,” 2B spoke in a hoarse whisper, unable to raise her voice over the clawing feeling in her throat. 

“All operator type units have master keys they can use in emergency situations, you know…” 6O trailed off.  2B could see the worry in her operator’s eyes through her blurry vision. 

_When did I start… crying..?_

She hastily wiped her eyes and turned away from 6O.

“You should go, 6O…” she spoke softly, her characteristic strength sapped away.  Her voice sounded pitiful even to herself. 

She heard the closing of the door, followed by the soft click of the lock. 

Footsteps. 

2B felt a shift beside her as 6O joined her on the edge of her bed.

“I’m not going anywhere, 2B…” 6O’s soft voice elicited a shaky breath from the normally stoic battle android. 

A thick silence filled the room. 

“How many times…” 2B started, opening and closing her hand. 

“I’m sorry?”

“How many times has he been reset?”  She didn’t need to specify who she was referring to.

“I… I don’t know, 2B.  I’m sorry,” 6O responded truthfully, her words quiet. 

“It must have been at least a dozen by now,” 2B continued, turning to look down at her lap.  “A dozen times, and what do I have to show for it… Adam and Eve are dead, but he still, 9S, I still killed him 6O, I killed him… my mission… this doesn’t change anything… _it always ends like this_ …” she found herself starting multiple sentences but finishing none of them. 

She felt 6O’s warm fingers slide across her back to her side, gently pulling 2B against her.  2B allowed herself to rest her head against 6O’s chest, biting her lip as she let her operator hold her in a protective embrace.

“Shh… it’s okay, 2B… I’m right here, and 9S is here too…” 6O trailed her hand up to soothingly stroke 2B’s white locks. 

2B shuddered again, trying her best not to cry in front of 6O any more than she already had. 

“I must be defective,” she eventually spoke, voice barely above a whisper.  “Even though emotions are prohibited… I can’t…” she trailed off, trembling in 6O’s arms. 

6O quietly played with 2B’s hair, massaging her scalp with her fingertips in an effort to calm her down. 

“I’m so afraid, 6O,” 2B admitted.  “I’ve lost him over and over, so many times… I don’t want to lose you too… it was my mission, though… it was always my mission, so I shouldn’t… feel like this… I shouldn’t feel… emotions are prohibited…”

“2B…” 6O’s voice came gently.  “I’m so afraid of losing you too, you know?  Every time you’re on a mission, I can’t help but think of you every waking moment.  I can’t even imagine how painful it must be for you,” she gently scratched 2B’s head as she spoke, “but I think your feelings are just proof of what a good person you are.”

“We’re not people, though.  We’re just androids built to fight the machines.  We don’t need emotions,” 2B spoke weakly. 

“If we didn’t have our emotions, we’d be no different from the machines, right?” 6O responded.  “Your personality and emotions are what make you… well, _you_.” 

2B flicked her eyes up to 6O’s and could see her smiling from behind her mask.  

“I’ve always admired your cool demeanor… a-at first, it was a little off-putting, but after I saw how you much you doted on 9S, how you would help others in the Resistance Camp and around the Bunker, how much you did for me, even… I just… you know…” she trailed off.  “There’s so much compassion beneath the surface, yeah?  So, I guess what I’m trying to say is, it’s okay to be afraid, because that’s just further proof of how much you love and care about those who are close to you, right?”

 _Is this… love…?_ 2B swallowed and simply nodded her head, her breathing and pulse beginning to even back out to normal.  

The two stayed in silence for a few minutes as 6O continued her gentle massage, fingers working at 2B’s tense shoulders now. 

“Soon it’ll be time for your speech, 2B,” 6O’s voice broke the comfortable silence.  2B nodded and sat back up, fumbling around for her visor.

“6O,” 2B cleared her throat.  “Please don’t tell anyone else about this,” she stood up and straightened her clothes as she watched 6O do the same. 

“Hmm?  Tell anyone about what?” 6O tilted her head curiously while she unlocked the door.  2B was about to clarify her statement before she saw a telltale wink from the operator and couldn’t help but smile. 

The two walked side by side as they made their way back to the ballroom. 

Things weren’t perfect in 2B’s eyes, but the worst of her panic had subsided.  It helped that her operator was safe and sound right beside her. 

2B’s fingers found 6O’s as they walked through the empty hall. 

“Wait,” 2B called as 6O moved her free hand to open the ballroom door. 

“Hmm?” 6O turned to face 2B.

“Thank you again… I’ll do my best to protect you,” 2B shifted her weight, unused to these sorts of conversations.  “After all…” 

She hesitated, the words on the tip of her tongue.

_After all, I love you…_

“After all, you’re my one and only operator,” she finished instead. 

Her heartfelt statement was met with a warm giggle from her operator, and 2B felt 6O press her forehead against her own as she stepped closer toward her. 

There was a distinct lack of space between the two as they stood together, and the distance only shortened as 6O leaned forward, her nose brushing against 2B’s through her mask.  The edge of the black fabric hung down, gently resting against 2B’s lips.  She could feel the mask move against them as 6O smiled, her bright eyes softly gazing into hers from behind her visor. 

“And I’ll always be right beside you… after all, you’re my one and only 2B.” 

2B could feel the heat from 6O’s cheeks mingling with her own before the operator pulled away, her veil providing one last featherlight touch against 2B’s lips. 

6O’s hand hovered at the door, and 2B smiled and nodded. 

“And now for a few words from the brave soldiers who have given us reason to celebrate!  YoRHa Units 9S and 2B, please come to the stage!” 2B heard the Commander’s voice booming over a microphone to the applause of all who stood waiting. 

_Just in time it seems._

2B broke off from 6O, instantly missing the warmth and comfort of her touch. 

“Do your best, 2B!” 6O giggled and made a heart with her hands. 

2B nodded with another small smile as she took her spot next to 9S on stage.

“Geeze 2B, I was searching all over for you!  Command would _not_ have been pleased if you didn’t show up,” 9S sighed next to her. 

“Now then, without further ado,” the Commander moved her left hand to her chest, “Glory to mankind!” 

Was that why she was fighting? 

2B’s mind quickly whipped through memories of all of those she had helped on the surface, of Anemone, of Pascal, of 9S, of 6O...

Perhaps mankind was what she had originally been fighting for. 

Now, however...

2B crossed her arm across her chest, and her eyes rested on 6O in the audience.

_Oh, 2B… I’m going to treasure this forever!_

Even from up on stage, 2B could read the smile in her operator’s eyes, and she tightened her fist in resolve.

_9S… 6O… I will protect you._

2B’s voice joined in unison with her fellow YoRHa units’.

“Glory to mankind!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _“It’s the latest winter fashion, 2B! C’mon, you’d look great in a scarf!”_   
>  _“There are no seasons on the Bunker. I fail to see the tactical advantage to wearing this extra piece of clothing.”_   
>  _“Ugh, 2B, you’re so boring!”_   
>  _“I simply prioritize the mission above all else. I advise you do the same, Operator 6O.”_   
>  _“… I’m going to get you to wear a scarf one of these days, 2B…”_   
>  _“I’m closing this communication channel.”_   
>  _“Wait, 2B, I didn’t even get to sh-”_   
>  _-click-_
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> So, I just wanna say that I’m super, super sorry for taking so long!
> 
> There are a variety of reasons why I took so long on this chapter… I had a lot of personal things happen these past few months, and that coupled with some other stuff that isn’t really appropriate to talk about here meant that things just got delayed more and more.
> 
> That, along with the fact that I actually wasn’t in the country for the past few weeks, so I was unable to write during that time.
> 
> I just landed back here, though, and I’m currently uploading this from a bus somewhere in the middle of nowhere on the highway.
> 
> I don’t wanna make this an obnoxiously long author’s note, but again, I just wanted to apologize for the excessive delay and once again say that this fic isn’t abandoned!  
> I promise to get chapter 6 out much quicker than this one.
> 
> One last thing… I want to give a quick thank you to the wonderful writer androidkisser on here! Your NieR fics are super amazing, and you really helped me get through these past few weeks. I can’t thank you enough, and I hope you get all the happy things, because you deserve all the happy things.
> 
> See you in chapter 6! (Or in the comments, if you choose to leave one ;w;)


	6. until [F]orever ends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rating changed from G to T for this chapter.

“Whoah, that one looks like an alien!  It seems dangerous, 2B…”

“They’re actually quite harmless, really.  It was difficult to convince 9S to hold it up, though.”

“9S really does get the short end of the stick a lot, doesn’t he?”  6O laughed lightly as 2B scrolled past the photo of the horseshoe crab in her fishing encyclopedia.  6O excitedly pointed at another fish with a large horn and shiny carapace.  “Wait, is that a bug?”

2B smiled as she opened up the entry.  “It’s a special kind of beetle, yes.  Long ago, they used to live on land, but they evolved to live in the water.  They can fly, too,” she explained as she spun the 3D model around to give 6O a better look at the strange creature. 

“Whoah… it’s kind of gross, but cute at the same time… is there a word for being cute in a gross way?” 

“I’m not sure.  You can make one if you’d like,” 2B minimized the photo as she spoke. 

“Hm… I’ll think on that, then!” 6O grinned as well. 

What had originally been intended as a short scheduled contact had turned into over an hour of the two androids going through various images and encyclopedia entries from 2B’s travels.  2B was sure that she had already shown and talked about some things before, but she was more than happy to spend her scarce down time with her operator regardless.  

“This one here,” she scrolled further down with her right hand, “we found in the sewer, actually.” 

6O scooted closer toward 2B.  “That’s just a rusty old pipe, isn’t it?”

2B turned toward 6O with a serious expression on her face.  “You’d be surprised at how effective an iron pipe can be against machine life forms.” 

“Whatever you say, 2B,” 6O rolled her eyes, eliciting a small smirk from 2B. 

Her smile softened as she felt a brush of fingers against the bare skin of her left hand.  2B inhaled slowly and deeply before curling her fingers around her operator’s. 

For a moment, the two simply sat in silence, their gentle breaths the only things disturbing the stillness and tranquility. 

_Tranquility…_

There was supposedly a sea of it on the moon, according to the Old World records.   

However, here in the confines of her room, 2B couldn’t imagine a calmer scene.  After so much strife and fighting, she felt that the two of them had earned this quiet respite. 

Still, she knew her job wasn’t yet complete. 

2B’s eyes flicked up to the clock on the wall, the visor she normally wore resting beside her on the bed instead.  Her open encyclopedia shut off with a small click. 

A gentle squeeze.  Another small stretch of silence.

“Next time,” 2B started softly, “I’ll show you the Forest Kingdom.” 

“Is that the place with all the moose?  Your pictures were so beautiful,” 6O replied as her fingers threaded themselves between 2B’s. 

“Mm… it’ll be better firsthand, though.”

“Firsthand..?   I thought you said going down to Earth would be a one-time thing?”

6O’s eyes rested on 2B’s, and her smile was pure light.

“Things change,” 2B replied simply with a smile of her own.  

_After all, the machines are weakened._

_After all, I can protect you._

_After all… after this…_

2B felt 6O shift and press herself closer against the cool material of her heavy armor. 

“Hey, 2B?  I just… wanted to tell you again…”

Their noses brushed, and the contact was lighter and softer than 2B had imagined it would be without the operator’s mask in the way.

“Thank you… for the flowers.  Desert flowers are beautiful, aren’t they?  Thank you…  Someday, I –“

“Attention all YoRHa units,” a loud announcement cut her off.  “Please proceed to your designated stations.  Repeat, all YoRHa units, please proceed to your designated stations.” 

Although the broadcast came suddenly, neither android was startled.  It was far from the first time such an announcement had abruptly played over the Bunker’s intercom.  They had both been expecting the announcement anyway. 

Still...

2B nuzzled her nose back against 6O’s instead of getting up. 

Command could wait.

“After this mission,” she whispered, “I’ll hand you one in person.”

“You promise?” 6O’s lips grazed 2B’s.

2B tilted her head slightly in response, and there was no barrier between them.

Her right hand gently cupped 6O’s cheek as her lips pressed against her operator’s.  It was soft, it was safe, it was theirs, _this is ours…_

2B savored the warmth of 6O’s kiss, and the direct contact against her synthetic skin was a far more satisfying sensation than she had ever thought possible. 

They parted and rejoined with small pants and flushed faces, each successive kiss as light and tender as the last.  2B traced her fingers across 6O’s face to her chin, thumbing over it gently so as not to break the fragility of the moment. 

Her fingers continued sliding down as their kiss deepened.  She brushed along 6O’s slender neck, the soft fabric of her uniform a stark contrast to 2B’s combat gear, down to the curve of her waist – a perfect resting place. 

“Attention all YoRHa units,” the announcement repeated itself moments later.  “Please proceed to your designated stations.  Repeat, all YoRHa units, please proceed to your designated stations.” 

“2B…” 6O breathed against the combat android as she finally pulled back.  The two of them locked eyes once more, and 6O cleared her throat.  “You’ll do great down there,” she smiled as 2B reached over for her gloves. 

“Thank you, 6O.  For everything.”  2B flexed her fingers as she slid them on.  They were different from her usual ones, yet not wholly uncomfortable.  She stood up and extended her gloved hand to 6O, pulling her to her feet. 

“Don’t thank me yet, 2B!  Remember that I’ll be your eyes in the sky,” she gave 2B a thumbs up.    

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” 2B smiled at the familiar gesture.  She watched as 6O turned to head to her station in the main control room.  “6O, I,” she started, causing the operator to turn around with a curious expression.  “I have something for you,” she continued as she stuck her hand in her right pocket. 

“Hmm?  It’s a little early for a victory gift, isn’t it?” 6O grinned as she saw 2B hold out her hand in a loosely closed fist. 

“It’s more of a good luck charm, I suppose,” she spoke softly.  2B slowly opened her hand, and 6O’s eyes lit up. 

“Oh wow, 2B, I… I don’t know what to say…”

“When we were at the amusement park, I… found them,” 2B tried to find the words to properly describe how she came across the shimmering earrings in her hand.  “I think humans used to put them in their ears as a sort of accessory.”

“You think?  C’mon 2B, surely even you’ve heard of earrings before!” 6O giggled.

“Right,” 2B blushed, embarrassed.  “I know we don’t have our ears pierced, but…” she continued aimlessly. 

“Oh 2B, they’re perfect…” 6O gingerly picked one up, holding it in the light of 2B’s room.  Brilliant cerulean patterns danced on the otherwise drab wall as she turned it around, gazing at each facet.  “We could always make them into necklaces instead, you know.”

“You think so?” 2B looked down at the other earring in her hand. 

“Sure!  I could probably get one of the other operators to make them into rings, even… i-if that’s okay, that is!” 6O finished quickly as 2B’s face reddened further. 

“That… would be nice, 6O.” 

“Hehe, I’ll see what I can do when all of this blows over, okay?  For now, I’ll take this one with me,” 6O slipped the delicate earring into her own pocket.  “Now, I’ll have a piece of you with me while you’re on the ground!” she smiled broadly.  Her smile was infectious, and 2B found herself unable to suppress one of her own.

“I’ll keep the other one with me as well, then.  It’ll be a physical connection for us.”

6O laughed again lightly.  “You really are more romantic than you let on, 2B,” she grinned teasingly and stepped close toward the battle android. 

“I can be nice sometimes,” 2B rested her hand on 6O’s hip.

6O pressed a quick kiss first to 2B’s cheek and then to her lips again. 

Recording the moment away to her permanent memory seemed woefully inadequate to 2B as she reciprocated before reluctantly drawing back.  

“I’ll always be here for you,” 6O’s eyes shone as she spoke, “no matter what.  Until forever ends, and then some!” 

_Forever, huh?_

“I’ll always be here for you too, 6O.  That said, it’s best not to keep Command waiting too long,” 2B smiled in response, lightly squeezing her fingers against the operator encouragingly. 

“Heh, yes ma’am,” 6O rolled her eyes and pulled away, striding toward the door.  2B watched her walk down the hall toward the control room before turning to her equipment on the bed behind her. 

She took a few steps toward the bed before hearing 6O call from across the hall.

“2B!” she waved in the doorway to the control room.  2B could make out the operator forming a heart with her hands. 

“I love you!” 6O yelled, heedless of the other YoRHa units walking to their stations.

2B blushed crimson and hesitated to respond.

“I… 6O, I –” she held up her hand and started to call back, but 6O had slipped inside to prepare for the mission.  2B slowly lowered her hand and sighed.

“I love you too, 6O,” she whispered to the empty room.  She mentally kicked herself for not replying immediately. 

_Oh well… I’ll have plenty of time to tell her when I get back… until forever ends, by the sound of things._ 2B smiled and sat on her bed as she began to prepare.    

A short but triumphant tune played over the intercom signaling the start of one of the Commander’s speeches, and 2B knew it was time. 

“We’ve confirmed that the network core units known as Adam and Eve have been destroyed,” the Commander’s stoic voice began.  “The enemy’s chain of command has been thrown into complete chaos.”  

2B picked up her blade and secured it to her back with a deep breath. 

_I will protect you._

“As such, humanity has chosen to seize this opportunity and launch an all-out attack against the machine forces.  Of course, the forces of YoRHa will participate in this endeavor.”

2B adjusted her visor. 

_This is…_

“Remember your pain.”

_For 9S._  

“The pain of having your homeland stolen!”

_For 6O._  

“We will never give up our struggle.”

_For us._   

“We will take back the seas!  The skies!  The land!  We will take back our world from the scourge of the machines!”

_Commencing System Check_

_Memory Unit: Green_

_Initializing Tactics Log_

 “We will not fail in this mission… Here and now, we will put an end to this goddamn war!”

_Equipment Authentication: Complete_

_Equipment Status: Green_

_All Systems Green_

_Combat Preparations Complete_

“Glory… to mankind!”

2B slid her helmet on and slowly rose to her feet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End
> 
>  
> 
> Wow, this has been quite the journey!   
> I want to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to read this fic and for sticking around until the end!   
> When I first started this fic, I had no idea that so many people would read it, and all of your comments really warmed my heart.   
> You all are truly the best <3
> 
> I don't really have too much to say, but as always, I would love to hear from you in the comments!


End file.
